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Adelaide on centre stage for World Environment Day

For World Environment Day on 5 June, nations around the world focused on the City of Adelaide as this year's international host city for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Delegates from more than 20 countries gathered in Adelaide for the United Nations' official World Environment Day Program and associated events.

World Environment Day is held annually by the United Nations to stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and to enhance political attention and action.

This is the first time that World Environment Day has been hosted in the Pacific region.

Last year, Adelaide won the bid amid strong competition from a number of other cities all over the world. The past two host cities for UNEP were Tokyo in 1999 and in 1998, Moscow.

This year, UNEP's theme was '2000 The Environment Millennium &endash; Time to Act'.

A range of sub themes included 'Caring for Catchments', 'Environmental Innovation in Industry' and 'Conserving Biodiversity'.

Activities centred on the announcement of the prestigious Global 500 Awards, presented by the UNEP Executive Director, Professor Klaus Toepfer.

These awards paid tribute to successes on global environmental action granted to individuals and organisations from around the world for their outstanding achievements in the protection and improvement of the environment.

Adelaide's staging of UNEP's World Environment Day celebrations was a joint Federal Government, State Government and Local Government initiative.

For its part, Adelaide City Council compiled a program of events that promoted the city's many unique features to the world.

Activities began with the 'badging' of the City, where street banners, in addition to posters and post cards, raised awareness about the many events happening on the day.

These included a live link up debate with students in Adelaide's Sister City, Christchurch. This aimed to stimulate discussion and interest, particularly among young people, about global environmental issues and solutions.

The hosting of a forum and workshop highlighted innovation in sustainability by South Australian industry.

Adelaide's Rundle Mall was transformed into an interactive 'river'.

Focusing on water issues, lengths of material strung overhead and running from one end of the Mall to the other &endash; represented water that was dirty and polluted at one end, and clean at the other.

Rundle Mall also featured 'Litter Bugs', six foot tall, 3D sculptures made of litter and debris, that would otherwise be waste. As well as sending a clear message about the importance of waste management, these proved very appealing to children.

In the lead up to World Environment Day, school children assisted Council in planting some 4,000 trees in local park lands.

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