Started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour is a global movement that encourages everyone to come together to switch off non-essential electrical lighting as a symbol of our commitment to our planet. This year the event will be held at 8.30pm on Saturday the 26th of March. 

The event originated in Sydney, Australia 15 years ago as a collaboration between WWF Australia and the advertising agency Leo Burnett. Their aim was to get more Australians involved and engaged with the issues that have arisen due to climate change and the climate emergency. The events in Australia inspired the ‘Lights Out’ event in San Francisco in the same year. 

That original event was the inspiration behind the first international Earth Hour on the 29th of March 2008. This event saw 35 countries taking part with landmarks such as the Colosseum in Rome and the Sydney Harbour Bridge going dark for the hour. As a result, a Zogby International survey found that there was a 4% increase in the amount of interest in environmental issues in the USA. Thailand saw a reduction in electricity usage of 73.34 megawatts over the hour which equates to 41.6 tonnes of CO2. 

The pandemic saw the event move online in 2020. Its popularity had soared and 190 countries and territories took part. Public figures such as UN Secretary General António Guterres, Pope Francis and Greta Thunberg showed their support.  

2021 was the most successful year in the history of the event. Almost 7 billion impressions were generated across social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. WWF’s Virtual Spotlight video saw 2.4 million viewers over the course of 24 hours, making it the most watched video since the beginning of Earth Hour. From actors such as Sofia Vergara to recording artists like Sean Paul and even our very own Andy Murray, last year’s event saw a wide range of public figures from across the world show their support. Read more about it here. 

So how can you get involved this year? 

You could join in by switching your lights off at 8.30pm on Saturday and taking the opportunity to head outside and try to spot some stars. Or you could use that time to track your carbon footprint? There are many apps available that can help with this such as WWF’s ‘My Footprint’. Or you could take a look at this article and see if there are ways that you can make your lifestyle more sustainable. 

This event is such an important way to draw everyone’s attention to the climate emergency that we are facing and highlights why it is important that we start caring for the planet we live on. 

So, why not join in on Saturday the 26th of March at 8.30pm?