PITTSBURGH — The United Nations has tapped Pittsburgh to host World Environment Day in June 2010, noting the city's environmental recovery.

The U.N. created World Environment Day in 1972 to promote environmental awareness and action. Pittsburgh officials will plan events from Earth Day on April 22 until June 5, World Environment Day.

Omaha, Neb. and Chicago have both hosted World Environment Day in recent years. The 2010 theme will be "Biodiversity: Connecting with Nature."

Bayer's U.S. headquarters are near Pittsburgh. It lobbied to bring the event to the former steel town. It says Pittsburgh was already on the radar because the city's environmental strides became known during the recent Group of 20 global economic summit.