International Year of Planet Earth

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth to increase awareness of the importance of Earth sciences for the advancement of sustainable development. UNESCO was designated as the lead agency. The Year's activities spanned the three years 2006–2009. Goals The Year aimed to raise $20 million from industry and governments, of which half was to be spent on co-funding research, and half on "outreach" activities. It was intended to be the biggest ever international effort to promote the Earth sciences. Apart from researchers, who were expected to benefit under the Year's Science Programme, the principal target groups for the Year's broader messages were: Decision makers and politicians, to better inform them about the how Earth scientific knowledge can be used for sustainable development The voting public, to communicate to them how Earth scientific knowledge can contribute to a better society Geoscientists, to help them use their knowledge of various aspects of the Earth for the benefit of the world’s population.