Earth Hour 2021: what does it consist of and when is it?
The movement calling for greater sustainability is organised by the WWF and they have planned a special 'Virtual Spotlight' event for the 2021 edition.
Tonight people around the world will be turning their lights off for a full hour as part of a global movement called Earth Hour.
The annual tradition was started by the World Wildlife Fund as a way to raise awareness of manmade climate change and to strengthen calls for greater sustainability in the way we live our lives. The event happens all across the world on 27 March, and takes place between 8:30pm and 9:30pm local time.
How did Earth Hour start?
The simple concept began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 when the WWF encouraged an estimated 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses to turn off the lights for a single hour in solidarity with their cause.
The event has grown rapidly since then and by 2012 the WWF had garnered support from people and businesses across 147 countries and over 5,000 cities. Another feature of the movement is for major national landmarks to go dark for an hour as a public show of support for the message.
In the past the following landmarks have got involved: Sydney's Opera House; the Great Wall of China; the Tokyo Tower; the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, the Eiffel Tower; London's Big Ben; the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and the Empire State Building in New York.
What will happen for Earth Hour 2021?
The big switch off is intended to remind participants that even small actions can make a big difference when everyone agrees to pitch in and has swelled to one of the world’s largest ecological movements.
The WWF statement reads: “When we make changes in our own lives, and when we share that with others, we also inspire the people around us to change– and we help grow a movement that businesses and governments can’t ignore.”
The international event has had to use a slightly different approach for the second year in a row as the covid-19 pandemic makes any sort of large gatherings impossible. This year the WWF are introducing Virtual Spotlight, taking the movement online with a series of multimedia posts, social activities and additional resources.
Full details have not been provided ahead of time, but Earth Hour organisers say: “We can't tell you what the video will be about just yet...but we can promise that it'll make you see our planet and the issues we face in a new light. “
To check out Virtual Spotlight, simply go to the Earth Hour website for more details.