This year's World Cleanup Day (WCD) focuses on reducing food waste and raising awareness; the movement originated in Estonia as the Teeme ära! Campaign back in 2008.

From its humble beginnings, Teeme ära! ("Let's do it!") has grown into a global initiative. Since 2018, more than 139 million people from 211 countries and territories have taken part in WCD events, collecting over 870,000 tonnes of waste in the process.

The UN General Assembly officially designated September 20 as World Cleanup Day in 2023, and the movement's global headquarters, the NGO Let's Do It World, is still based in Estonia.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) noted WCD's growth and importance. "This is not merely a clean-up campaign. It is an initiative that strengthens community cooperation, builds trust, and helps keep our planet sustainable," he said. He added that the movement is centered on the responsibility each person bears for their surroundings, with a goal of engaging at least 5 per cent of the population of every country taking part.

Minister: Russia must be held accountable for the €150 billion environmental damage it caused in Ukraine

Tsahkna also noted WCD serves as a reminder that the environment is often a silent victim of war, including in Russia's ongoing occupation of Ukrainian territories.

"Through its war of aggression, Russia has caused an estimated €150 billion in environmental damage in Ukraine," he said. "The aggressor is using nature as a strategic weapon. In recent months, Russia has increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure, bombing fuel depots, railways, and ports. The resulting pollution, contamination, and fires are causing severe damage to Ukraine's natural environment, water resources, air quality, and ecosystems," the minister went on via a press release.

"Agriculture has suffered particularly heavily. Bombing, artillery fire, and destroyed military equipment have contaminated agricultural land, one of Ukraine's most important economic resources, with toxic substances and heavy metals. Their impact on crops and ecosystems will be felt for decades. The deliberate destruction of the environment is a crime, and Russia must be held accountable."

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the war has generated an estimated 311 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions in Ukraine, while approximately 30 per cent of Ukraine's territory is contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance. The cost of clearing the country of mines alone is estimated at US$38 billion.

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