Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated on 22 April, aiming to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. And whilst industry is pivoting to make sustainability one of its fundamental goals, regulators are also proactively playing their part in enabling the delivery of net zero and ensuring that infrastructure is resilient to the effects brought by the changing climate.

This year’s Earth Day theme is ‘Our Power, Our Planet’, which reflects the documented role of collective action in shaping environmental outcomes, beyond formal governance structures alone. It highlights how shared interests and action at local level can bring resilience and benefits at more global level, aided by the system of systems nature of climate effects.

Collective action takes different forms, for example through the UKRN Climate Change Network (CCN). And to support the theme of this year’s Earth Day, we have invited Richard Benwell, CEO of the Wildlife & Countryside Link to attend the April meeting of the CCN. Richard will share his views on how increasing pressure to environmental protections – that is coming from conflict, economic stress and shifting political priorities – is impacting nature and will facilitate an honest conversation with the regulator members on our role in supporting positive environmental action and preserving safeguards.

If you would like to know more about Earth Day, there is a plethora of information on the website, including ways in which you can take action, individually or with your community, quizzes and fact sheets on critical environmental topics. Similarly, if your organisation is a UKRN member but not already involved in the work of the UKRN Climate Change Network and you would like more information, please get in touch with us for a chat.