This article is published in collaboration with The MeshMinds Foundation.

If given a choice to swim in the sea alongside a rich diversity of marine creatures or a vast range of plastic debris, which would you choose?

As the world confronts three planetary crises—climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste—choosing a future that is green and sustainable has become urgent.

In 2021, the UN Human Rights Council addressed the triple planetary crisis and recognized that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right. The climate emergency is an existential threat that impacts our way of living. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a 2°C increase could mean more heatwaves, a ten-fold increase in Arctic ice-free summers, and a complete wipe-out of the world's coral reefs, home to millions of species. Earth’s rich biodiversity, consisting of various species and ecosystems is also at risk and urgently requires restoration.

Choose Your Future AR game

To mark World Environment Day on 5 June, play a game of “this or that” in Choose Your Future, an augmented reality game developed by UNEP and The MeshMinds Foundation and envision a future that either succumbs to the crisis or one that is green and healthy.

The AR game allows the player to sport stylish pairs of sunglasses, which showcase both a healthy and an unhealthy version of the environment.

“We want to motivate individuals to act now to overcome the climate crisis, by allowing them to envision the future and witness the possibilities ahead. We provided several different scenarios for each of the planetary threats using visual references. These help us better understand the elements and creatures that the triple planetary crisis is threatening,” said Kay Vasey, founder of The MeshMinds Foundation.