Four emirates commit to 2009 Earth Hour

Dubai: Four UAE cities will take part in next year's Earth Hour - where lights are switched off for 60 minutes to save energy and make a valid impact on the environment, it has been announced.

The global initiative launched by WWF hopes to reach out to more than one billion people in 1,000 cities around the world in 2009. Earth hour will take place next year on March 28 at 8.30pm.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah and Sharjah have all committed to switch off lights. This support will form part of the support being given to create a platform of support for action on climate change.

So far 74 cities in 62 countries including individuals, businesses and governments will switch off lights for one hour.

Last year UAE residents took part for the first time in the international event with thousands of people taking part and major malls and hotels switching off their flood lights. A lantern parade was also held down Jumeirah Beach Road.

"Earth Hour demonstrates that small actions on a mass scale can make a difference to global warming and reductions in energy consumption," said Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, managing director, EWS-WWF.

EWS-WWF is launching a campaign and websites in parallel to the official Earth Hour website for UAE residents and businesses to get information on how to reduce energy consumption and adopt a sustainable lifestyle.

"We need everyone to get involved; residents, businesses, schools, universities, government, hotels, restaurants, in fact, anywhere where it is safe to turn off the lights for one hour," she said.

The Dubai Municipality and Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) is endorsing the campaign. "Rather than limit our efforts to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, we want to encourage all UAE residents to make the United Arab Emirates the first country to observe Earth Hour in 2009."

More importantly, EWS-WWF aims to send a clear message that UAE residents must reduce their energy consumption beyond the 60 minutes of Earth Hour, said Al Mubarak.

Solidarity amongst Earth Hour participants aims to provide a visual global mandate that will pressure world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 to strike a new global deal on climate change.

Some of the most recognisable landmarks on the planet will dim the lights, at 8.30pm on March 28, 2009, in support of decisive action on climate change.

Icons switching off include Burj Al Arab and the world's tallest hotel building - the Burj Dubai, the tallest free-standing structure in the Americas, the CN Tower in Toronto, Moscow's Federation Tower and in Rome, the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.

What it means

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when over two million people switched off their lights to mark the event and start what would become a major worldwide event.

In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated by switching off their lights for a full 60 minutes.

In 2009, Earth Hour aims to reach out to 1 billion people in 1,000 cities.

Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm to show their support for action on climate change.