Earth Day 2025: Start With Yourself – Then Change the World

Every year, on April 22, Earth Day calls us to reflect — to look around and ask ourselves what kind of world we are building for the generations that follow. This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” goes deeper than switching off a few lights or posting a green message on social media. It is a call to action not only to leaders and institutions, but to each of us, as individuals.

At the UN Global Compact Network India, we work closely with businesses to embed sustainability into their core strategy. But the truth is, systemic change doesn’t begin in boardrooms. It begins in living rooms, in classrooms, in the everyday choices we make. This Earth Day, we invite you to look inward before looking outward. Because before we ask companies to become greener, we must ask: What more can I do?

Sustainability Begins at Home

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has long championed the importance of individual and community-level action. While policies and business reforms are essential, they are most effective when societies are prepared to adopt and sustain them. According to UNEP’s Making Peace with Nature report, one of the most powerful tools we have for environmental change is our collective daily behavior.

Consider this:

  • If every urban household in India composted its kitchen waste, we could reduce nearly 60% of municipal solid waste reaching landfills. (Source: Central Pollution Control Board, 2021)
  • A single family that switches to reusable products — cloth bags, steel bottles, bamboo toothbrushes — can prevent over 1,500 plastic bags and 500 disposable bottles from ending up in landfills or oceans each year. (Source: UNEP Global Plastic Report, 2021)

These may sound like small actions, but their collective impact is immense. And they are well within our reach.

Practical Steps that Make a Difference

  • Segregate Household Waste: Teaching children to differentiate between dry, wet, and hazardous waste builds a foundation of environmental responsibility from a young age.
  • Compost at Home: Compact and odor-free composting kits are widely available and affordable. They transform food scraps into nutrient-rich soil. (Source: Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban Toolkit, MoHUA)
  • Introduce a Daily “No Power Hour”: Switching off lights and electronics for just one hour a day not only conserves energy but also encourages family bonding and mindful living.

Engaging Children Through Creative Climate Learning

  • Upcycling Projects: Turn old clothes into bags or plastic bottles into herb planters. These simple DIY activities combine environmental awareness with creativity.
  • Nature Journaling: Encourage children to observe seasonal changes, birds or trees in their neighborhoods. It builds appreciation for biodiversity.
  • Storytelling and Reading is another important way of engaging children.

Celebrating Sustainably

  • Eco-Conscious Festivals
  • Tree Planting for Milestones: In Maharashtra and Karnataka, families have started celebrating birthdays and anniversaries by planting trees. This small cultural shift is both symbolic and impactful.
  • Community Swaps: Organize local events where residents exchange clothes, books, or toys. Such events have already gained traction in cities like Chennai and Delhi. (Source: India Climate Collaborative & LocalCircles 2023 Survey)

These practices align closely with Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, which is also a focus area under the UN Global Compact’s environmental principles.

Another profound  measure can be tackling plastic pollution at the individual level. India generates more than 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. While approximately 60% is collected, only a fraction is effectively recycled. The rest ends up clogging drains, polluting rivers, and entering the food chain as microplastics. This is no longer just an environmental issue — it is a public health concern.

As individuals we can do the following:

  • Refuse Single-Use Plastics: Opt for long-lasting alternatives such as cloth bags, reusable containers, and biodegradable cleaning tools.
  • Support Zero-Waste Stores: Refill stations in cities like Bengaluru and Pune offer products with minimal packaging.
  • Raise Awareness: Whether in housing societies or local schools, discussions and workshops on plastic waste reduction can create ripple effects.

As part of the UN Global Compact, we encourage our member organizations to align with these best practices and leverage innovation to reduce plastic pollution. Energy is at the heart of our climate challenge and our solution. Fossil fuels still account for over 70% of India’s electricity production. However, we are also the world’s third-largest producer of solar energy and momentum is building at both the household and industrial level.

The aspect of 2025 Earth Day theme also involves powering renewable energy. So, as responsible citizens, we can do at basic levels and competencies to support the theme area including:

  • Install Rooftop Solar: With subsidies and financing schemes, solar panels are now more accessible, even to middle-income households.
  • Adopt Energy-Efficient Appliances: Switching to LED lighting and energy-star-rated appliances can cut household electricity use by up to 75%.
  • Explore Green Tariffs: Some electricity distribution companies now offer green energy options. Ask your local provider.

The UN Secretary-General has urged all sectors to raise their climate ambition and align with the 1.5°C goal under the Paris Agreement. That requires not just bold policies, but widespread participation at the individual and institutional levels.

As someone working within the UN Global Compact Network India, I see every day how businesses are stepping up to align with the Ten Principles and the Sustainable Development Goals. But I also know that these efforts can only go so far unless they are supported and inspired  by the choices we make at home.

Earth Day is not just a date on the calendar. It is a checkpoint. A moment to pause, reflect, and realign. Before we ask companies, governments or industries to change course, we must examine our own paths. So this Earth Day, let’s begin by renewing the power within us, the power to choose differently, to lead gently, and to act with urgency. So this Earth Day, before we tell businesses to go green, let’s make sure our own homes aren’t grey.

Let’s renew our power.
Let’s restore our planet.
Together.