World Earth Day, 22nd April 2021
Let us work together to Restore our Mother Earth
World Earth Day is celebrated every year on 22nd April, since 1970, to raise awareness for environmental conservation and to drive transformative changes for people and the planet. This year’s theme is Restore our Earth, focussing on the conservation challenges during and post COVID-19 pandemic as well as how we could look at the natural processes, green technologies, and innovative thinking to restore our Earth.
Earth Day is an occasion to introspect, recognize and take appropriate measures to meet the challenges in restoring degraded forests, greening the wastelands, conserving biodiversity, ensuring climate justice and livelihoods to the people. Balancing conservation with economic recovery and development should be our utmost priority
Since the year 1990, the world’s forest area has shrunk by 178 million hectares and only 50% of world forests have management plans. With the declining forest area, the total forest carbon stock has also decreased. These Forests play a critical role in the amelioration of the global environment, maintaining the water cycle, conserving biodiversity, and alleviating the effects of climate change and natural disasters. It is one of the primary sectors that contribute significantly to our environment, economy, and provides a large variety of tangible and intangible benefits for the people.
NCCF is actively engaged in diverse conservation activities including, the development of globally benchmarked and India specific sustainability certification standards for various constituents of our natural resource base, viz. forests, trees outside forests, non-wood forest produce, protected areas and wetlands, land degradation neutrality, ecotourism, and biomass & biofuels. NCCF is also developing a Carbon Registry-India aimed to provide a trading and tracking platform for verified GHG emissions reduction and removals enhancement.
We at NCCF believe that credible certification is the only demonstrable evidence regarding sustainable management of our natural resources based on well-researched Criteria and Indicators encompassing environmental, social, and economic aspects of their management.
NCCFs sustainability certification standards have great potential to contribute to achieving SDG goals, sustainable forest management, and our international commitments for climate justice, biodiversity conservation, and land restoration. Certification of natural resources may contribute in a small way to keep at bay such pandemics in the future.
On this World Earth Day, 22 April 2021, let us express gratitude to our planet for providing care and kindness. Also, pledge to build a better future and commit to protecting our earth and its environment year-round.