Governments, international organisations and civil society groups across Asia marked World Environment Day on Friday with calls for stronger climate action, stressing growing concerns over rising temperatures, extreme weather and environmental degradation.
Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day is observed annually on 5 June and was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 following the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. First celebrated in 1973, it has become the UN’s largest platform for environmental public outreach.
In South Korea, President Lee Jae-myung urged citizens to take part in everyday climate action as the country launched a national initiative bringing together religious groups, businesses, civil society and government representatives to address the climate crisis.
“The launch ceremony for Korea Climate Action is being held today. It is a meaningful occasion where religious groups, businesses, civil society and the government come together to pledge action in response to the climate crisis,” Lee wrote on his official X account.
Lee said responding to climate change begins with actions in daily life rather than slogans, encouraging people to reduce their use of disposable products, save electricity, use public transport and carry reusable shopping bags.
“The government, too, will do its utmost to deliver tangible changes that people can feel in their daily lives,” he added.
The South Korean government said the event was intended to encourage broader participation in climate action and support a transition toward a more sustainable society through cooperation between industry, civil society and public institutions.
In Vietnam, President To Lam used messages ahead of World Environment Day and World Oceans Day on 8 June to warn of mounting environmental pressures and emphasise the links between environmental protection, security and development.
He said the world was facing unprecedented ecological challenges, including global warming, extreme weather, glacier melt, rising sea levels, droughts, floods, forest fires, biodiversity loss and marine pollution.
“A safe environment and peaceful, sustainable oceans are at the core of every nation’s development, security, peace, fairness, ethics and long-term survival,” To Lam said.
He argued that environmental protection should be regarded as a core component of both national security and human security, adding that economic growth could not be considered sustainable if people were forced to live amid pollution and environmental degradation.
To Lam also highlighted Vietnam’s vulnerability to climate change as a coastal nation with more than 3,260 kilometres (2,026 miles) of coastline, major river deltas and millions of people whose livelihoods depend on marine and coastal ecosystems.
Meanwhile, in China, the UNEP’s office in China hosted a World Environment Day event in Beijing earlier this week under the global theme “Race Against Time for Climate Action”.
The gathering brought together around 100 representatives from UN agencies, Chinese government departments, foundations, businesses, musicians and youth organisations.
In a video message,UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the past 11 years had been the hottest on record and called for urgent action to cut emissions and reduce climate risks.
Wang Qian, acting head of UNEP’s China office, said this year’s World Environment Day focused on climate change, the urgent signals being sent by the planet and the choices societies make in response.
She said climate impacts are intensifying but solutions are also increasing, adding that immediate action could help build safer, healthier and more prosperous societies.
UNEP said it had partnered with Beijing Capital Airport, the Beijing subway system, Chinese social media platform Weibo and government agencies to promote climate awareness campaigns online and at major transport hubs.
China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment explained the country’s latest development planning framework and environmental legislation demonstrated its commitment to addressing climate change, stressing that government leadership, corporate action, public participation and international cooperation were all essential to the effort.
The calls for action come as Asia faces mounting climate risks. The Asian Development Bank has warned that climate change could reduce developing Asia and the Pacific’s collective economic output by 17 per cent by 2070 under a high-emissions scenario, with rising sea levels and falling labour productivity expected to inflict some of the heaviest losses.
The region is already experiencing increasingly severe climate impacts. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, while 2024 was either the warmest or second-warmest year on record for the continent. Prolonged heatwaves, record sea-surface temperatures and above-average sea-level rise have increased risks for coastal communities, food systems and water supplies.
Scientists and international agencies have also warned that a potentially strong El Niño event forecast for later this year could intensify droughts, floods and heatwaves across parts of Asia. The WMO said the weather phenomenon, combined with human-driven climate change, could threaten agriculture, water security and livelihoods in some of the world’s most densely populated regions.
