EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO), the global organizer of Earth Day and the largest recruiter of environmental movements worldwide, announced the theme for Earth Day 2023 – “Invest in Our Planet”

Acting as a continuation of this year’s well-received campaign, the theme is focused on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and the more than 1 billion citizens who participate annually in Earth Day to do their part – everyone accounted for, everyone accountable.

“In 2023 we must come together again in partnership for the planet. Businesses, governments, and civil society are equally responsible for taking action against the climate crisis and lighting the spark to accelerate change towards a green, prosperous, and equitable future. We must join together in our fight for the green revolution, and for the health of future generations. The time is now to Invest In Our Planet,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG.

Investing in a green economy is the only path to a healthy, prosperous, and equitable future. Human influence is unequivocally to blame for the warming of the planet and the sad truth is some forms of climate disruption will be felt for centuries to come. However, we must collectively push away from the dirty fossil fuel economy and old technologies of centuries past – and redirect attention to creating a 21st century economy that restores the health of our planet, protects our species, and provides opportunities for all.

Governments around the globe enacted many significant green policy initiatives in 2022. Yet, nearly every country in the world is not on track to meet Greenhouse gas (GHG) neutrality by 2050. It is possible keep global warming below 1.5C, but immediate and significant action is needed now, and governments can’t do it alone.

You’re invited! Join us at our annual Ambasz Earth Day Lecture:

Ambasz Earth Day Lecture 2023
April 19th, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm Eastern Time
Register here.

In recognition of Earth Day, the Ambasz Institute will host an annual keynote lecture to address the increasing challenges of living on a damaged planet. Addressing the climate crisis requires a momentous cultural shift. Tune in on Earth Day, enter into the conversation, and become part of the needed change. This year’s keynote speaker is Yasemin Kologlu, design principal at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), who will share her work on the Urban Sequoia project. The presentation will be followed by a discussion moderated by Octave Perrault.

What if buildings could act like trees—capturing carbon, purifying the air, and regenerating the environment? Taking inspiration from nature, Urban Sequoia is a design concept that is buildable today—a project that can set the stage for a new carbon-removal economy and a resilient future for cities. Urban Sequoia encompasses every aspect of design and construction. It rethinks many of the common practices that architects have taken for granted for decades, and, therefore, requires us to reconsider the way we select materials, integrate technology, and design mechanical systems and structures.

https://www.moma.org/research-and-learning/ambasz/earth-day-lectures

The Emilio Ambasz Institute for the Joint Study of the Built and the Natural Environment, established through a generous gift to MoMA from Emilio Ambasz, is a platform for fostering dialogue, promoting conversation, and facilitating research about the relationship between the built and natural environment, with the aim of making the interaction between architecture and ecology visible and accessible to the wider public while highlighting the urgent need for an ecological recalibration.