More than one million participants have signed up to take part in the sixth edition of CNN’s Call to Earth Day on October 8th, 2026.


Partnering with schools, individuals, and organisations across the world, CNN will again use its global presence for a day of action to raise awareness of environmental issues and to engage with conservation education.

This year’s theme ‘Think Blue’ shines a light on the force that connects every country, every coastline, and every community on Earth: the ocean.

From coral reefs to the rivers and waterways that flow through cities, the health of the oceans impacts everyone.

Call to Earth Day invites people to take action: whether it’s organising a beach or river cleanup, creating ocean-themed artwork, reducing single-use plastics, restoring marine habitats, planting mangroves, educating students about water conservation, or simply pledging to make more sustainable choices.

Throughout the day, CNN will spotlight inspiring stories of people making a difference for the oceans, including scientists pushing boundaries in marine research, young activists demanding change, local communities protecting waterways, and innovators developing long-term solutions to preserve marine life for future generations.

Stories, live programming, interviews, and a mix of long and short form content gathered from across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and both North and South America, will run in every live hour of CNN International programming throughout the day.

Reports will air across CNN’s news and sports programming including a special edition of Connect the World with Becky Anderson.

CNN Creators will also air a Call to Earth Day episode showcasing ‘super coral’ in the Red Sea near Saudi Arabia and highlighting how students in Doha are marking Call to Earth Day.

Further packages will explore Bali’s plastic pollution crisis, the Eco-Mamas of Kenya’s Lamu archipelago, and Ocean Heroes, a Minecraft game introducing young people to ocean science and conservation.

CNN reporters will be live from schools across the world on October 8th.

Call to Earth Day will feature interviews with Rolex Testimonee Titouan Bernicot, the founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners, and Shannon McIntyre Rake, Senior Hope Spots Program Manager for Mission Blue.

CNN is following both of these marine conservation organisations, who are supported by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, over the course of a year to see how they are working to save the world’s oceans.

CNN’s Will Ripley will also sit down with filmmaker, explorer, and Rolex Testimonee James Cameron at the OceanX Summit in Singapore.

In addition, a half-hour documentary The Amazon of the Seas will spotlight the remote Indonesian island regency of Alor, the heart of the most biodiverse marine area on Earth.

The islands' deep cold-water currents have mostly protected these waters from global warming, which has already decimated similar ecosystems across the globe, making it a stronghold for some of the last pristine reefs on the planet.

CNN joins Rolex Testimonees and conservation photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier who are calling for protection of the area before it is too late.

CNN en Español will air Dia del Llamado a la Tierra elements throughout every live show on October 8th.

This will include packages from Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Ecuador.

Content will additionally be available on CNN Arabic, while CNN’s daily ten-minute student-focused news show, CNN10, will also be promoting Call to Earth Day.

Bespoke digital content will also run across CNN.com with a live blog on the day that will highlight contributions from around the world.

CNN’s multiplatform content will be complemented by a series of live events, with participants encouraged to share their actions, ideas, and inspirational thoughts across social media using the hashtag #CallToEarth.

Custom videos will also roll out across the CNN Climate social handles in the run up to Call to Earth Day.

CNN Group Senior Vice President, GM APAC, and Global Head of Productions, Ellana Lee said “Six years in, Call to Earth Day continues to show what is possible when communities, organisations, and individuals come together with the shared goal of protecting our planet.

CNN has built a global community dedicated to conservation education and this year we’re delighted over a million participants have signed up to ‘Think Blue’ and safeguard our oceans.”

Last year’s Call to Earth Day saw more than 650,000 people sign up to take part, and since its launch, Call to Earth has encouraged hundreds of thousands of students, educators, environmentalists, and changemakers across more than 100 countries to participate in hands-on conservation efforts and environmental education initiatives.

Together, this growing global movement continues to prove that collective action can create meaningful impact.

Call to Earth Day is part of Call to Earth, a major network initatve launched by CNN in 2019,in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initatve.

ThePerpetual Planet Initatve builds on nearly a century ofRolexpioneering exploraton, supportng scientsts, conservatonists,and innovators working to protect the planet and create a more sustainable future for generatons to come.

Over the last sevenyears, Call to Earth’saward-winning programming has told stories of changemakers, visionaries, and ground-breaking projects making a diference to the world around them, shining a light on those commited to safeguarding our planet for future generatons.

To register a Call to Earth Day event or fnd out more informaton, visit: CNN Call to Earth Day 2026