World Environment Day

From United Nations Environment Programme

Resource type: Event

Price band: Free

Key stage: KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, KS5

Region(s): All of UK

World Environment Day takes place annually on June 5^th. First celebrated in 1973, World Environment Day is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a global platform to encourage action to protect and restore our planet. The focus for World Environment Day 2025 is Beat Plastic Pollution.

Cost: Free

About UNEP: The United Nations Environment Programme was set up to serve as a global advocate for the environment, providing leadership and encouraging partnership amongst member states of the United Nations. Its mission is to raise awareness and advocate for effective environmental action.

Further resources:

Primary experts Books for Topics have a plastic pollution booklist as well as recommendations to cover environmental sustainability and Awesome Planet Earth.
Book review site Toppsta have put together a World Environment Day list of recommended reads for readers of all ages.
CLPE has created free teaching and discussion notes for a range of award-winning titles that explore environmental issues, all available to download with their free introductory membership.
The NLT’s Plastic vs Planet resources, produced for Earth Day 2024 are still available to download. They include a booklist and teaching resources with activities to promote writing and speaking and listening for pupils in KS1-KS3 (ages 4-14). Available with free NLT membership.
Catch up with authors Liz Flanagan, Huw Lewis Jones, Pari Thomson and Patricia Daniels to learn more about the environment and positive ways to make a difference in this recording of a Mr Dilly Meets online event to celebrate World Environment Day 2024. Suitable for pupils aged 7+.
Listen to recordings of authors Vashti Hardy, Gill Lewis and Hannah Gold talking about their environmentally-themed books in the ReadingZone Bookclub archive.
Find a selection of author videos, recommended booklists and activities themed around the environment from Scottish Book Trust.
Explore news stories about plastic pollution, encourage critical thinking and help students aged 10+ generate solutions with the free lesson plans from Topical Talk.
Register for Build the Change Tuesday, a free, weekly sustainability news worksheet from The Day and the LEGO Group that provides a news story and ready-to-go activities to prompt classroom debate and inspire young people aged 7-14 to create innovative solutions to the problems affecting our planet.
Ensure your pupils can keep up to date with environmental issues by taking out a school subscription to a junior newspaper or nature magazine. Find a selection here.
Talk for Writing have a selection of English units with an environmental theme available to download for free from their website.
Discover Usborne’s Quicklinks to carefully selected websites with tips on how you and your pupils can help wildlife and planet Earth.
Schools can sign up for the Earth School Programme from TED-Ed and the UN Environment Programme to access videos and quizzes that explore how our planet works and the action needed to protect it.
Find curriculum linked resources and real-world activities that explore environmental issues for KS2 and KS3 pupils on the WWF website.
Oxfam provides a range of free teaching resources covering environmental issues for ages 7-14. Find them here.
Explore the different resources available from The Regenerators initiative from BBC Bitesize.