World’s Largest Environmental Service Campaign Crosses Finish Line, Keeps Going

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Bryan Buchanan (202) 518-0044 x 14 April 23, 2012 [email protected]

World’s Largest Environmental Service Campaign Crosses Finish Line, Keeps Going

A Billion Acts of Green Reaches A Billion Acts of Green

WASHINGTON – A Billion Acts of Green®, the world’s largest environmental service campaign, reached its goal of one billion environmental actions. In light of this success, Earth Day Network has vowed to continue the campaign. Launched in 2010, Earth Day’s 40^th anniversary, A Billion Acts of Green has been inspiring environmental commitments from individuals, businesses, governments and civic organizations all over the globe. Earth Day Network counted down the final pledges to the “billion” announcement on Earth Day, April 22, at their flagship event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. “A Billion Acts of Green is a global referendum on the environment,” said Rogers. “It shows the breadth of support for strong, coordinated action to deal with our most pressing environmental challenges. And we’re going to take this achievement to world leaders and demand just that.” Earth Day Network will showcase this achievement at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development this June, where world leaders will gather to determine the way forward on a number of environmental issues. Throughout the campaign, commitments have ranged from the very small to the very large. Yeji from South Korea pledged to not use paper cups anymore, while Pearl from the United Kingdom pledged to sell her car and walk everywhere she could.  One man even broke up with his girlfriend because she wouldn’t recycle. Individual commitments like these have always been the main focus of A Billion Acts of Green® But there were also major contributions from organizations, whose larger environmental initiatives drove the campaign to new heights.  For example, Earth Day Philippines contributed over 12 million Acts of Green through massive tree plantings, water projects, river clean-ups, recycling drives and school greenings. And two hundred Catholic parishes contributed 100,000 acts of green through local service projects. “When we began the campaign in 2010, we never could have imagined the tremendous response we would see worldwide,” said Rogers. “A Billion Acts of Green shows us that environmental issues are increasingly impacting how people live their daily lives. In the absence of national and international action to solve major environmental problems, such as climate change, people are taking matters into their own hands. And all these little actions add up to something big. “ For more information on A Billion Acts of Green, go to earthday.org/take-action.

###

Earth Day Network mobilizes over one billion people in 192 countries through year-round advocacy, education, public policy and consumer campaigns to protect the environment. archiveedn.wpengine.com