Earth Hour is annually observed across the globe on the last Saturday of March by turning off the lights between 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm (Local Time) as a symbolic gesture towards the commitment to preserve the Earth and to support actions against Climate Change.
- Earth Hour is annually organised by the World Wildlife Fund(WWF).
26th March 2022(Earth Hour 2022) marks the observance of the 15th Earth Hour.
- Earth Hour 2021 was observed on 27th March 2021.
- Earth Hour 2023 will be observed on 25 March 2023.
The theme of Earth Hour 2022 is “Shape Our Future”.
Background:
i.Earth Hour is the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment which aims to unite millions of people around the world to show solidarity for both people and the planet.
ii.The first-ever Earth Hour event was held on 31st March 2007 in Sydney, Australia.
iii.At present more than 190 countries across the globe supports the observance of Earth Hour.
Earth Hour in India:
i.India observed the first Earth Hour in 2009 and it was celebrated by around 5 million people across 58 cities in India.
ii.Aamir Khan was the first Earth Hour brand ambassador for Earth Hour India.
Additional info:
The World Wide Fund-India (WWF) has released the ‘Earth Hour India’ anthem, composed by Shantanu Moitra and sung by Mohit Chauhan. The anthem urges the people of India to take urgent climate actions.
Highlights of Earth Hour 2022:
i.Landmarks like Sydney Opera House, Beijing Phoenix Center, Taipei 101, Petronas Towers, Gateway of India, the Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, Christ the Redeemer, and Empire State Building, took part in the signature switch off moment.
ii.Global influential leaders and celebrities like UN Secretary-General António Guterres, HRH Prince of Wales, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chinese supermodel Liu Wen, astronaut André Kuipers and International musician and environmental campaigner
Ellie Goulding, supported Earth Hour 2022.
Earth Hour logo:
i.The standard Earth Hour ’60’ logo represents the 60 minutes of Earth Hour that focuses on the impact we are having on our planet and taking positive action to address the environmental issues we face.
ii.In 2011, the ‘60+’ logo was introduced representing a commitment to add to Earth Hour as a positive act for the planet that goes beyond the hour.
About World Wildlife Fund(WWF):
President & CEO– Carter Roberts
Headquarters– Gland, Switzerland
Established in 1961
