“Your Planet Needs You - UNite to Combat Climate Change”, is the theme of World Environment Day (WED) 2009. The world has celebrated World Environment Day on 5 June. WED was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

By celebrating World Environment Day (WED) the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and urges on political attention and action of nations for the protection and improvement of the environment. The day's agenda is to:

1. Give a human face to environmental issues;

2. Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;

3. Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues;

4. Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

This year’s theme encourages nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009. Overcoming poverty in all parts of the world and better management of forests are of utmost importance.

This year’s host for WED is Mexico which plays an important role in the fight against climate change, and the country has a growing participation in the carbon markets. Mexico is also a leading partner in UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign. Mexico, accounting for about 1.5 % of global greenhouse gas emissions, has pledged to plant 25 per cent of the trees under the campaign.

This year’s theme reflects the urgency for nations to take adaptation and mitigation measures to address climate change in accordance with the policy of sustainable development and reach agreed outcomes at the crucial climate convention meeting slated in Copenhagen in December 2009.