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.
January
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 24 January to 26 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.
February
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.
March
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 over a selected week in 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 24 March to 4 April 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”.
April
National Walk to Work Day is 4 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 30 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.
Check back soon for more national campaigns in 2025
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