Earth Day: five charities leading the charge
Earth Day is the world’s largest environmental campaign with the purpose to inspire people to act, innovate and implement climate solutions. People come together to recognise the changes needed to tackle the climate crisis and to take action. Earth Day is a reminder that tackling the climate crisis requires more than awareness – it requires concrete action and commitment from individuals, communities, businesses and governments alike.
In 2023, there were 5437 registered EDO 2023 events on the official Earth Day map, which is the most ever reported and 741 organisations joined the Climate Literacy Petition. [1]
This year, we are supporting five charities by giving them media space on our screens across London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh, on our Loop network. The charities chosen represent a diverse range of approaches to tackling climate change, from promoting biodiversity conservation to tackling plastic pollution and empowering communities to take action. By showcasing their work, we hope to demonstrate the power of collective action and inspire others to join the fight for a more sustainable future.
The charities making a difference
- Royal Entomological Society is devoted to the understanding and development of insect science. Insects make up 90% of all species of animals and more than half of all living things on Earth. These tiny creatures are essential pollinators, decomposers, and critical for ecosystem balance. Ensuring the understanding, protection and conservation of insects is essential for preserving our food security and the wellbeing of all living things on Earth, not just on Earth Day, but every day.
- Pendeza Shelters is a Ugandan social enterprise and they are committed to advancing environmental responsibility by addressing the common issue of plastic waste in water bodies and the overall environment. Their focus is to collect plastic waste and transform it into innovative building materials. Their efforts have influenced the lives of more than 1.3 million rural individuals in Africa and have enhanced the wellbeing of various communities
- Just diggit is on a mission to regreen African landscapes and cool down the planet. Their approach is to inspire and empower millions of subsistence farmers to regreen their land. The ripple effects of regreening Africa will benefit nature, biodiversity, and people everywhere. They have already reached 291m people globally with their awareness campaigns, recovered 14m trees and have dug 315,000 water bunds, but there is still more to do.
- RangerLab is a charity dedicated to wildlife conservation and environmental protection. They focus on safeguarding natural habitats and endangered species through research, community engagement and advocacy initiatives. They work collaboratively with local communities, organisations, and governments With every project they support, they consult with men and women on-the-ground to understand what they need to carry out their job effectively and supply them with the right tools. It’s niche, focused work that has a huge impact.
- World Land Trust has been tirelessly working since 1989 to fund partner organisations globally. Their mission is to create reserves and provide permanent protection for habitats and wildlife. Through their dedication and efforts, they have made significant strides in conserving precious ecosystems and safeguarding biodiversity for future generations have been focused on saving land to save species. They have been instrumental in the purchase and protection of more than 2,222,247 acres of tropical forest and other threatened habitats.
Significance of Earth Day
The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970. Since then, EARTHDAY.ORG has been mobilising over one million people across 192 counties on Earth Day and every other day, to protect the planet and safeguard our future.
[1] Earth Day 2023 Report