Abu Dhabi Municipality joins Earth Hour to promote sustainability

As part of global efforts to raise environmental awareness, the Abu Dhabi City Municipality, through its Municipal Services Sector – Environment, Health, and Safety Department, participated in Earth Hour on the evening of Saturday, March 22, by switching off the lights in its buildings from 8:30 to 9:30pm.

The municipality urged community members to turn off unnecessary lights to conserve electricity and raise awareness about the dangers of climate change, contributing to environmental preservation.

Earth Hour is an annual global initiative organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It encourages individuals, communities, homeowners, and businesses to switch off non-essential lights and electronic devices for one hour to highlight the importance of energy conservation.

The initiative aims to promote responsible electricity and water consumption, reduce pollution, and encourage recycling. WWF suggests various measures for individuals, organisations, businesses, schools, and universities to participate, including turning off unnecessary lights and raising awareness about environmental conservation.

Additionally, WWF calls on institutions and companies to educate employees about climate change through Earth Hour-related activities and adopt sustainable energy-saving practices in the workplace.

As environmental risks from climate change and the overexploitation of natural resources continue to intensify, raising global awareness about sustainability has become more crucial than ever. In response, Earth Hour emerged as one of the world’s largest environmental movements, bringing people together to tackle pressing environmental challenges.

By switching off lights for one hour, Earth Hour highlights the importance of energy conservation and environmental protection. What started as a symbolic act has rapidly grown into a global movement, engaging millions of individuals, communities, and businesses in a collective commitment to a more sustainable planet.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, delivers the following message from the UN to the world:

“Earth Hour is a global movement where millions of people switch off their lights to highlight the critical state of our planet.

This year, I urge you to be among those millions. The urgency is undeniable, as our climate is collapsing. Last year was the hottest on record.

Earth Hour is also an opportunity to demonstrate global solidarity and commit to a different path — one that leads to a more sustainable future. It serves as a powerful reminder that each of us has the ability to fight for our planet’s future.

So, mark your calendars for March 22 at 8:30pm local time. Let’s switch off our lights together and redirect the world toward a brighter future for all.”

Earth Hour has led to several remarkable environmental accomplishments worldwide, including:

• Establishing the first “Earth Hour Forest” in Uganda.

• Mobilising over 250,000 people in Russia to protect forests and marine ecosystems.

• Supporting legislation to protect 3.4 million hectares of marine areas in Argentina.

• Distributing thousands of energy-efficient stoves in Madagascar.

• Installing solar-powered lighting in Indian villages without electricity.

• Advocating for an extended logging ban in Paraguay, helping reduce deforestation.

• Launching educational programs in Thailand and Taiwan.

• Facilitating the installation of hundreds of thousands of LED bulbs by Girl Scouts in the United States.