- Global leaders, celebrities, individuals, youth groups and businesses from a record-breaking 192 countries and territories came together on Saturday 27 March, to lend their support for the planet.
- #EarthHour and related hashtags trended across 42 countries on Twitter or Google search, and 1.2 billion social views came from TikTok alone with Earth Hour trending in most regions.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Pope Francis and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were among the many influential leaders and celebrities who supported Earth Hour 2021, to draw attention to the nature and climate crises.
- Earth Hour Virtual Spotlight video, featuring narration by John Kani and music by Miel de Botton, highlighting the link between nature loss and pandemics, had at least 2.4 million views in 24 hours, making it the most watched video in Earth Hour history.
SINGAPORE, 28 March 2021 – As Earth Hour rolled across the globe on Saturday, millions of people came together online to speak up for nature and inspire action for a brighter future. The movement, which is in its 15th year, saw individuals, influential leaders, celebrities, youth groups and businesses shine a virtual spotlight on our planet and the role we can all play in the global efforts to address the climate and nature crises.
Earth Hour 2021 generated 6.7 billion impressions globally on social media channels and other platforms including TikTok and LinkedIn, and its related hashtags trended across 42 countries on Twitter or Google search, making 2021 the most successful online event in Earth Hour’s history. The Virtual Spotlight video, which highlights the link between nature loss and pandemics, garnered 2.4 million views in 24 hours making it the most watched video in Earth Hour history.
“The success of Earth Hour always moves me. Just when we think it can't get any bigger, it demonstrates again the enormous weight of public desire for environmental action. As the world faces unprecedented challenges, people have come together to speak up for nature - loudly and clearly - and inspire urgent action for the environment,” said Marco Lambertini, Director General at WWF International.
“By continuing to destroy nature, we are the ones who are responsible for increasing our own vulnerability to pandemics, accelerating climate change, and threatening our food security. This has to change, and Earth Hour shows that millions of people around the world are demanding that change. From Indonesia to Kenya, Colombia to China, and from the US to Spain, people spoke up for nature at a time when nature needs us to reduce our impact, and we need healthy nature to support a healthy society. This is the year when we must commit to reverse nature loss by the end of this decade, building a nature positive society.”
Celebrities and prominent public personalities from around the world supported Earth Hour to help raise awareness on the importance of nature and inspiring action. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Pope Francis, Desmond Tutu, and many other influential leaders highlighted that by acting for nature, we can all create a fairer, healthier and more sustainable world. Hollywood actor John Kani, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, Korean actor Park Seo-Joon, Jamaican recording artist Sean Paul, Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, actress and UN ambassador Dia Mirza, tennis ace Andy Murray, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, Colombian model Claudia Bahamon, and DJ Armin van Buuren were among the many public figures who participated in Earth Hour by speaking up for people and nature.
In recognition of the critical role young people will play in creating a more sustainable world, global youth groups including Fridays For Future, AIESEC, United Nations Global Youth Biodiversity Network, World Organization for the Scout Movement, YMCA, and Global Youth Action Team participated in Earth Hour calling for a safer, healthier future for all. Pocoyo, the beloved children's animated series and Earth Hour's Global Children's ambassador, launched Earth Hour special episodes, songs and an activity book to educate children about the importance of nature.
Taking place just a few months before crucial climate and nature summits in 2021, Earth Hour is a strong reminder of people’s determination to tackle our planet’s biggest environmental challenges. As lights and cities dimmed, supporters took over social media by sharing an Earth Hour video about the deterioration of our planet and our increasing vulnerability to pandemics.
“Earth Hour continues to show us the impact we can achieve when we unite, sparking hope for the future we can shape for generations to come. Millions of people around the world are urging world leaders to act decisively by securing an international commitment for people and nature. We have an unmissable opportunity to agree on a global plan for a sustainable future using the global agreements on nature and climate scheduled later this year. By acting together now, we can solve the dual threats of climate change and nature loss. Let us seize this opportunity to secure a better future by putting both the health of people and our planet first,” said Lambertini.
In a year with limited public gatherings, iconic monuments including the Olympic Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, Tokyo Skytree, Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, Eiffel Tower, London Eye, Kremlin, St Peter's Square in the Vatican, Rome’s Colosseum, Acropolis in Athens and Niagara Falls switched off their lights as a symbolic gesture of solidarity for the planet. Millions of people at home also switched off to show their support for urgent action for climate, nature and people.
Earth Hour 2021 mobilized people across continents to raise their voices on environmental issues affecting their countries.
- In Uganda, Earth Hour partnered with the Scouts, social organisations and government agencies for Earth Hour to push for a total single-use plastic ban. They also launched a “Keep It Green and Clean” campaign by organising a local clean-up and tree-planting drive.
- Countries came together for the biggest Latin America Digital March for Earth Hour. The interactive platform allowed participants to personalize their avatars and message to “speak up for nature” under three themes: biodiversity, plastic and climate change.
- Malaysia organized a 10km Virtual Run, the proceeds of which will help to fund projects on nature, wildlife and forests.
- The Philippines launched an exciting 4-hour long film marathon named Earth Hour Phlix featuring different themed films for all ages to inspire people to #SpeakUpForNature and create the world they wish to live in.
- Singapore organised a digital campaign to mobilise people for achieving net-zero emissions in Singapore by 2050 by inviting individuals to set up their own net-zero plans with tangible climate actions to reduce their overall carbon footprint.
- In Eswatini, Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Peter Bhembe, launched the “Climate Change to Save Earth” campaign on Earth Hour to inspire businesses to transition to renewable energy.
Next year, Earth Hour will be held on Saturday 26 March 2022 at 8:30p.m. local time.
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Notes to the Editors:
For more information, please contact: news@wwfint.org
Earth Hour 2021 Global Highlights Video
Earth Hour 2021: A message from United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Earth Hour highlights infographic
Earth Hour 2021 Official Video
Earth Hour Virtual Spotlight Video
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is WWF's flagship global environmental movement. Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the world's largest grassroots movements for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 180 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action. Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, Earth Hour has strived to also bring the pressing issue of link nature loss and its impact on our health. The aim is to create an unstoppable movement for nature for addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis.The movement recognizes the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive change.
Earth Hour is kindly supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety with funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI), as a part of the project “Scaling up Biodiversity Communication”.
About WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million followers and a global network active in nearly 100 countries. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit this page for the latest news and media resources; follow us on Twitter @WWF_media