Earth Day Themes by Year (2014–2026) and Earth Day History
Earth Day is held every year on 22 April. It began in the United States in 1970 and went global in 1990. Official yearly themes, set by EARTHDAY.ORG, are a feature of the last decade or so: recent themes include Planet vs. Plastics (2024) and Our Power, Our Planet (2025 and 2026). Lists online that give a different theme for every year since the 1970s are not reliable; the early Earth Days had causes, not official themes.
Organising a tree plantation drive? Planning an Earth Day event? Make it a pledge in April and a planting in the monsoon, and let us handle the planting. Grow Billion Trees runs plantation drives for companies, schools and housing societies across 14 states: the site, native saplings, the day itself and three years of care, with every tree geo-tagged on GreenTrack. Plan a plantation drive or talk to our team.
Earth Day themes by year (2014–2026)
| Year | Theme | What it was about |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Our Power, Our Planet | Carried over from 2025 as a multi-year campaign for renewable energy. |
| 2025 | Our Power, Our Planet | Calls for tripling clean electricity generation worldwide by 2030. |
| 2024 | Planet vs. Plastics | Calls for a large cut in plastic production and an end to single-use plastics. |
| 2023 | Invest In Our Planet | Carried over from 2022, aimed at businesses, governments and citizens. |
| 2022 | Invest In Our Planet | Asks businesses, governments and citizens to invest in a green economy. |
| 2021 | Restore Our Earth | Natural processes, green technologies and new thinking to restore ecosystems. |
| 2020 | Climate Action | The 50th anniversary, held largely online during the COVID-19 lockdowns. |
| 2019 | Protect Our Species | The threat to plants, animals and insects from human activity. |
| 2018 | End Plastic Pollution | Reducing plastic use and changing attitudes to plastic. |
| 2017 | Environmental & Climate Literacy | Education as the base for climate action. |
| 2016 | Trees for the Earth | A campaign to plant billions of trees, and the day the Paris Agreement was signed. |
| 2015 | It's Our Turn to Lead | Climate leadership in the run-up to the Paris climate talks. |
| 2014 | Green Cities | Cleaner, greener and more efficient cities. |
Milestones since 1970
- The first Earth Day, 22 April. About 20 million Americans take part, organised by Senator Gaylord Nelson with Denis Hayes as national coordinator.
- Earth Day goes global: about 200 million people in 141 countries.
- Focus on clean energy; groups in 184 countries take part.
- The 40th anniversary, with an estimated 1 billion people involved worldwide.
- Leaders from 175 countries sign the Paris Agreement on Earth Day.
- The 50th anniversary moves online because of the pandemic.
Did early Earth Days have themes?
No. The first Earth Day in 1970 was a nationwide teach-in about pollution, and for its first decades Earth Day rallied around causes such as clean air, clean water, recycling and, from 1990, global participation. Many websites list a "theme" for every year since 1971, but these are not found in EARTHDAY.ORG's records. When you cite an Earth Day theme, use one from the table above and name EARTHDAY.ORG as the source.
Earth Day in India: when to plant
22 April falls in the hottest, driest part of the year in most of India, before the monsoon. Saplings planted then need regular watering through May and June, and many don't survive without it. Two approaches work better:
- Pledge in April, plant in the monsoon: announce the plantation on Earth Day, then plant in June to August when the rains arrive.
- Plant only where water is assured: drip irrigation or a site team that waters through summer, for example a dense Miyawaki forest with irrigation.
See the Earth Day plantation drive, World Environment Day (5 June) and Van Mahotsav (first week of July).
Earth Day slogans
Earth Day: give back, plant back.
Every day is Earth Day when you plant a tree.
Our planet, our power, our trees.
Plant today, breathe tomorrow.
Less plastic, more plants.
Invest in roots, not just reports.
One Earth. Plant for it.
Restore the Earth one sapling at a time.
More: 100 tree plantation slogans, 100 tree plantation quotes and famous quotes about trees.
Ideas for companies and schools
- Companies: announce a plantation or forest pledge on Earth Day, with the number of trees, the place and the planting month; report survival a year later.
- Schools: a slogan or poster competition on the year's theme, and a class tree adopted for the monsoon.
- Offices: a "Planet vs. Plastics" style audit of single-use plastic, paired with a tree for each team.
- Everyone: plant a tree online and follow it on a map.
Sources: EARTHDAY.ORG: Earth Day 2026 · 2026 theme announcement · Earth Day (Wikipedia). Last updated: October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Earth Day 2026 theme?
Our Power, Our Planet. EARTHDAY.ORG carried the 2025 theme into 2026 as a multi-year campaign for renewable energy.
What was the first Earth Day theme?
The first Earth Day, on 22 April 1970, had no official theme. It was a nationwide teach-in about pollution, with about 20 million Americans taking part.
What was the Earth Day 2024 theme?
Planet vs. Plastics, calling for a large cut in plastic production.
Which Earth Day theme was about trees?
Trees for the Earth, in 2016, a campaign to plant billions of trees. The Paris Agreement was also signed on Earth Day that year.
Is Earth Day a good day to plant trees in India?
It is a good day to commit, but usually not to plant: April is hot and dry. Plant at the start of the monsoon, or only where saplings can be watered through summer. Plan a plantation drive.
Keep reading
Top 100 Tree Plantation Slogans: Short, Catchy and Save Trees Slogans
Severn Cullis-Suzuki: The Girl Who Silenced the World
Isha Blokhra: 7-Year-Old Environmental Champion Who Planted 750 Trees
Gaylord Nelson: Father of Earth Day & Global Environmental Movement
Yann Arthus-Bertrand: Photographer Capturing Planet's Beauty
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