As the world stands at a climate crossroads, Earth Hour is inviting people around the world to be a part of the climate action our planet urgently needs. Teams in more than 150 countries are leading the charge to take the movement to new heights, be it by promoting renewable energy through partnerships and petitions, driving awareness on sustainable food and lifestyles or bringing together entire regions to tackle the most pressing climate issues of our generation. From skylines to timelines, here are some of the countries that are shining a light on climate action for Earth Hour 2016.
AUSTRALIA
The devastation brought about by the recent wildfires in the World Heritage forests in Tasmania serves as a stark reminder of the impacts of climate change on places Australians have grown up with and long cherished. This Earth Hour, WWF-Australia is calling on all Australians to address climate change to preserve the #PlacesWeLove. Through traditional and social media, the campaign aims to shine a light on the positive actions Australians can take both as individuals and as communities to change climate change and help protect their country’s incredible natural resources such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Tasmanian Forests.
On the night of 19 March, organizers are also expecting over 1,000 events across Australia as the country where Earth Hour was born gears up to celebrate the tenth lights out.
INDIA
Over the past two years, WWF-India has used Earth Hour to drive awareness and action on renewable energy, a transition which recently received a renewed boost with the Indian prime minister’s ambitious announcement for solar power at the COP21 climate summit in Paris last December. The call for action for Earth Hour 2016 in India is ‘#GoSolar’ with a focus on rooftop solar. The team is working with the government, businesses, educational institutions, resident welfare associations, housing communities and a large volunteer network to build awareness on rooftop solar and its importance in the present-day scenario. With India poised to be one of the largest emitters of greenhouses gases in coming decades, a transition to renewables powered by the grassroots is a step toward meeting the country’s ambitious targets under the Paris Agreement.
© WWF India
SPAIN
Earth Hour is about connecting the grassroots to the corridors of power. WWF-Spain’s 2016 campaign aims to bridge this gap by using Earth Hour to mobilize people to ask for the 100 per cent renewable declaration made by the country’s leadership at the COP21 climate summit in Paris to be made reality. Through Earth Hour, the team hopes to collect 50,000 signatures urging the Spanish government to phase out fossil fuels and adopt a new law to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement. We have seen how public momentum in the past has pushed for and achieved environmental outcomes – Norway’s sovereign fund and its recent divestment decision comes to mind – and WWF-Spain’s Earth Hour 2016 campaign will serve as an important platform in the country for achieving this.
CYPRUS
In 2014, Earth Hour powered a move to ban disposable plastic bags and expanded polystyrene packaging to protect the unique ecosystem in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. This year, the Earth Hour team in Cyprus has decided to use the power of the collective to push for a ban on plastic across the entire country, engaging people to not only make a change in their individual lifestyles but ensure the state also makes the shift towards a more sustainable future.
The ambitious efforts of Australia, India, Spain and Cyprus remind us yet again that changing climate change starts with each of us. Take the first step today and donate your social feed for a good cause. Click here to get started – there’s even a cool profile picture filter you can use at the end ;)