Today is World Environment Day! For over 50 years, it has been celebrated every year with a different theme to raise environmental awareness and highlight the environmental crises created by our actions. Communication, especially, is centered around a theme that focuses on the issues that need attention. This year’s theme, under the #BeatPlasticPollution campaign, shares solutions to tackle plastic pollution. The United Nations refers to today as "People’s Day" to do “something” for the world. In our view, the “something” can be local, national, or global, and it can be an action taken together with a community or individually. With this perspective, we wanted to take today beyond just sharing suggestions and posts, and introduce you to the concept of neo-collectivism.

Given the increasing complexity of society and the environmental and social challenges we face, our ability to build networks, grow them, and collaborate has perhaps never been more important. While it may feel like the process is long overdue or progressing much slower than expected, we can say that one of the greatest driving forces behind this change is collective action. In last year’s article, we discussed how the environmental movement has evolved over the 50 years since the first World Environment Day.

The rise of the neo-collectivism trend also points to an increasing curiosity about what is possible when we move beyond individualism and act together. Neo-collectivist communities bring together people who share similar values, yet they also celebrate the uniqueness of each member. These communities nurture individuality while reminding us that we are not alone in facing challenges. In the context of environmental issues, such communities become essential, showing us that collective action not only amplifies our voices but strengthens our ability to create meaningful change.