On June 5, an educational activity gathered hundreds of pupils to create paintings concerning environmental protection, aiming to raise their awareness of adopting a green and economic lifestyle.

World Environment Day (WED), falling on June 5 every year, is the United Nation’s principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of the Earth’s environment.

World Environment Day was inaugurated in 1972 following the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for publicizing emerging environmental issues including marine pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption, and wildlife crime.

WED has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, WED has a new theme that major corporations, NGOs, communities, governments, and celebrities worldwide have adopted to advocate environmental causes.

This year marked the 46th World Environment Day, themed as Connecting People to Nature.

Pupils from Tongshunjie Primary School create paintings themed around environmental conservation in Yuanquan district, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on June 5. [Photo/Xinhua]

Pupils from Tongshunjie Primary School create paintings themed around environmental conservation in Yuanquan district, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on June 5. [Photo/Xinhua]