Updates
4 July 2020: This flag was showcased in the newsletter of the North American Vexillological Association, the largest flag organisation in the world!
The current situation
We need an official flag of Earth. We live in an unprecedented times where all the people of the world are connected together and aware of global issues, but are at risk of being divided. The planet itself under threat from destructive forces. Ecosystems around the world are dying, collapsing and on fire. We have a flag for every single place, except for the place that is most important of all. We have a flag for every single homeland, except for the land that is home to every human being. We have a flag for every single cause, except for the single largest cause in the history of our whole species. We have no consistent symbol for our entire home, yet we clearly need to express that right now.
When we want to represent global co-operation, what flag do we use? When we protest the planet’s environmental issues, what flag do we fly? When we celebrate events like Earth Day, what flag emoji do we use in our message?
There are a few options but they do not cut it. The most famous global flag is the flag of the United Nations but that represents the organisation and not the whole planet. Some people use a photograph of the planet Earth but that is not appropriate for a flag. There are other proposals but they are messy or unintuitive. We need a good, simple, catchy flag to represent our planet.
Therefore, here is my proposal.
My proposal
First off, this design is simple enough to be remembered by a child, yet distinctive enough to be identified at a distance.
This design is a stylised representation of Earth in space, which is a universally familiar image. It is directly based on the common imagery and colours used to represent the planet worldwide. This makes the flag intuitive, so every person can understand it and resonate with it, even without an explanation.
The vast black field represents space and the isolation of our planet which is sometimes likened to a lonely “spaceship” or “island”. As they say, “we don’t have a planet B” – this planet is all we have. The green represents the life of the land and the blue represents the life of the oceans. These are balanced to represent the harmony that must exist between all living things on the planet, including humans. As a whole, this symbol represents a single interdependent system where everything on the planet flows together in an eternal cycle. This flag represents Earth in a way that is positive and dynamic, yet also stresses its fragility.
Vector files available on request.
Brian Cham's personal website 
Just one minor thought: Could the device be a larger proportion of the field?
Hi Gavin, when I came up with this flag I tried a variety of sizes but this one works the best. The small size emphasises how Earth is a fragile little thing floating in space just like the nickname “blue marble”. I wanted to convey the sense of something to be preserved rather than something grandiose.
Congratulations! This design is so much better than Pernefeldt’s design, (which was promoted by a marketing agency). Your flag is beautiful and elegant, and there’s no need to explain what it means.
Thanks for your kind words, pipcallas.
Congratulations! This design is so much better than Pernefeldt’s design, (which was promoted by a marketing agency). Your flag is beautiful and elegant, and there’s no need to explain what it means.
I’m wondering if the curling shape of the Earth in this may be thought of as too similar to yin-yang symbols in Chinese philosophy — which may diminish its appeal as universal. It also could be compared to the emblem on the flag of Hamamatsu, Japan.
-Thomas D
Thanks for your feedback, Thomas. I hope it will be interpreted as a generic symbol of interconnected synergy rather than a symbol of a specific religion.