You can do a lot to reduce your organisation’s energy costs by changing equipment and processes. To bring about and maximise improvements for lasting benefit, it’s vital to get your colleagues on board with your energy efficiency initiatives. We have a number of excellent resources available in our staff engagement toolkit that will help you train staff and run professional campaigns.
However, there are also many national campaigns that you could take part in to boost your efforts.
We have rounded up a number of dates you can add to your diary – covering a whole host of environmental themes. There are campaigns you could take part in as a business. And there are also lots designed to engage and educate people when they are at home or in the community.
Veganuary is a global awareness event to encourage people to try eating vegan for the month. Every year, at least 600,000 people make the pledge to adhere to plant-based eating. Veganuary “aims to inspire and support people to try vegan, drive corporate change, and create a global mass movement championing compassionate food choice with the aim of ending animal farming, protecting the planet, and improving human health”.
RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest wildlife survey from 26 January to 28 January. All you have to do is sit back, relax and watch the birds in your garden, local parks or beaches and then let RSPB know what you’ve seen. Doing this helps provide visual information about how garden birds are doing in the UK – it’s held annually so that the RSPB can compare results to previous years.
Nearly 90% of the world’s wetlands have degraded since the 1700s and we are currently losing wetlands three times faster than forests. The aim of World Wetlands Day on 2 February is to raise awareness about wetlands in hopes to reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions imperative to conserving and restoring them.
International Polar Bear Day is on 27 February to raise awareness about the conservation of polar bears. Keeping mothers and cubs save, while also addressing the climate crisis, is a critical part of this awareness day.
World Wildlife Day is an annual, global event on 3 March to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants and the vital role of wildlife has in sustaining the planet. Continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems threatens all life on Earth, including us. We rely on wildlife and biodiversity to meet all our needs, from food to fuel, medicines, housing and clothing.
The Big Plastic Count takes place from 11 March to 17 March. During this week, numerous schools, households, community groups, and businesses will unite to tally their plastic waste. You can register on their website to take part.
Global Recycling Day on March 18 helps to recognise the importance that recycling plays in saving carbon dioxide emissions. Each year, recycling alone saves over 700 million tonnes in CO2 emissions and is projected to increase to 1 billion tonnes by 2030. This annual awareness day seeks to tell world leaders that recycling is too important not to be a global issue and that a collaborative approach to recycling is an urgent need.
The Big Walk and Wheel takes place from 11 to 22 March and is the UK’s largest inter-school walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling challenge aimed to inspire pupils to get active.
Earth Hour is a global movement on 22 March organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and aims to encourage individuals, businesses and communities to turn off non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol of commitment to the planet. WFF says “Earth Hour reminds us that even small actions can make a big difference. When we make changes in our own lives to reduce our footprint, we inspire those around us to do the same. And together, we are a powerful global movement that governments and businesses can’t ignore”.
National Walk to Work Day is 1 April and is dedicated to encourage walking to work. Walking not only has health benefits but by leaving your car at home will help to reduce carbon emissions.
For Earth Day 2024 on 22 April there is unwavering focus on the commitment to end plastics, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040. Join the movement via the website.
International Mother Earth Day, falling on the same day as Earth Day, brings people across the globe together to promote the needs to live in harmony with nature and the earth.
Stop Food Waste Day is an environmental awareness day held on 24 April that seeks to educate and ignite change around the issue of food waste. The day aims to tackle this issue by helping to half food waste by 2030.
Plantlife’s annual campaign, No Mow May takes place from 1 May to 31 May. And all you have to do is not cut your grass – the aim is to provide space for nature to do its thing.
Meat-Free May is a month-long challenge to eliminate meat from your diets for all days in May. Find meal plans, and recipe ideas to help you get started. You can also encourage your friends, start a workplace team, plan some fun foodie events, and join the No Meat May online community for support and inspiration.
International Compost Week happens from 5 May to 11 May. This annual education initiative is to raise awareness of the importance of composting, from the benefits of composting to the importance of creating healthy soil.
World Bee Day is 20 May. We can help bees by planting bee friendly plants in our gardens and encouraging our councils to plant wildflower meadows and leave grass verges to allow wildflowers to bloom.
World Bike Day on 3 June draws attention to the benefits of using the bicycle – a simple, affordable, clean and environmentally sustainable means of transportation.
Take part in World Environment Day on 5 June. This world day is held on the same day every year, which is dedicated to our environment.
The Great Big Green Week falls between 8 June and 16 June and is one of theUK’s largest celebration of actions taking by local communities to tackle climate change and to protect nature.
On 8 June, take part in World Oceans Day. This year’s theme is ‘Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean & Climate.’
Held annually on 16 June, World Refill Day encourages us to ditch our single-use plastic bottles and using refillable bottles where we’re out and about.
World Rainforest Day recognises standing, healthy forests as one of the most powerful and cost-effective climate change mitigation tools we have and creates a global movement to protect and restore them. Each year on 22 June a summit brings together rainforest guardians to explore solutions for forest ecosystems under threat, to help conserve our rainforests.
Plastic Free July (1 July – 31 July) is a month-long campaign encouraging us to adopt sustainable habits to reduce our plastic consumption.
Net Zero Week runs from 6 – 12 July. The UK’s national awareness week highlights our challenge and provides the best expert advice and information to help us all better understand the challenge and how to benefit from making changes.
International Tiger Day, led by the WWF on 29 July, is a chance to learn more about this critically endangered species and what you can do to help them. Find out more about one of our planet’s most iconic big cats, the threats they face and what you can do to help safeguard their future. Show your support for tigers, or even adopt a tiger to help protect this big cat and its habitat.
National Allotments Week will be 12 August to 18 August and this time is used to engage the public in the world of allotments and publicise the benefit of allotment gardening for communities, individuals and the planet.
World Plant Milk Day is an international day that celebrates plant-based alternatives to dairy milk. Take the 7-day dairy-free challenge, and encourage your friends and family to join in too. Aiming to accelerate the transition from dairy milk to the rich variety of plant-based alternatives, it’s a great way to reduce your impact on the planet.
Second Hand September is from 1 September – 30 September. The annual celebration by Oxfam is to promote buying second hand and reduce waste. Oxfam says that “when a new pair of jeans is made, an estimated 16.2kg of CO2 is emitted – the equivalent of driving over 58 miles in a car. So, by recirculating our clothes – buying, wearing and donating second-hand – we can help to reduce the demand for new clothes. And this could in turn help to reduce the damage to our planet”.
Zero Waste Week falls from 2 September – 6 September. This environmental campaign focuses on helping and encouraging homes, schools, businesses and community groups to find ways on how to reduce waste that is destined for landfill.
Fair Trade Fortnight celebrates the farmers and workers who grow the world’s food, promotes fair trade, and helps raise awareness of the importance of choosing fair trade. From 9 September to 22September, thousands of individuals and companies across the UK gather to share stories of the people who grow and gather resources to raise awareness of the people in our supply chains that are often exploited and underpaid.
International Day for the Preservation of The Ozone Layer commemorates the date of the signing, on 16 September 1987, of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
Take part in Unblocktober from 1 October – 31 October to save our sewers and seas. The campaign was started to create and promote awareness on how we can improve the health of our sewers, drains and seas.
International Walk to School Month is a month-long celebration where children across the glove celebrate walking to school. Even if your child can’t walk the full way to school, parents are encouraged to park a short distance away from the school and walk the last little bit to ease congestion and improve air quality around the vicinity of your school.
World Vegetarian Day is an annual celebration on 1 October of all things vegetarian. For those new to vegetarianism, it serves as an enticement to give meatless fare a try (even for a day) and learn about its many benefits. And, for vegetarians and those already moving towards plant-based diets, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate their food choices.
No Disposable Cup Day falls annually on 4 October and the entire day is dedicated to not using disposable cups.
World Vegan Month can be celebrated from 1 November to 30 November to embrace and promote the vegan movement.
National Tree Week is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration from 23 November to 1 December. Here people are encouraged to plant trees to mark the start of the winter tree planting season.
World Soil Day is on 5 December. This day highlights the importance of the health of our soil and why it is essential for long-term food security.
International Mountain Day was set up in 2003 by the UN to highlight the importance of sustainable mountain development on 11 December.
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