Scotland on course for biggest ever sign up to WWF's Earth Hour
1 March 2010
A record number of Scotland’s local authorities are set to participate in the world’s biggest public event in support of action on climate change – WWF’s Earth Hour, it was revealed today (Monday 1 March).
With a month still to go until the global ‘lights out’ event, 18 of Scotland’s 32 local authorities have already pledged their support – twice as many as this time last year. Many more are poised to officially sign up over the next few weeks.
At 8.30pm on Saturday 27 March hundreds of council-owed buildings and monuments will join thousands of others around the world in falling dark for 60 minutes in a graphic demonstration of support for people and wildlife threatened by climate change. The record sign-up in Scotland reflects a similar increase in interest globally – where almost 1,000 towns, cities and municipalities in 77 countries have already signed up.
Aberdeenshire, Angus, City of Edinburgh, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Midlothian, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire will unite with individuals, businesses and governments in the world’s key cities including Singapore, Moscow, Toronto, Delhi, Sydney, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Dallas, Rome, Seoul, Dubai, Manila, Athens, Cape Town, Geneva, Tel Aviv and Bangkok to celebrate WWF’s Earth Hour.
See last year’s global highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FclcMfzjwug
See how one Scottish local authority took part last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtghtJ7Se5o
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said:
“It is fantastic to have had so many local authorities pledge their support already for WWF’s Earth Hour. With others poised to sign-up in the next few weeks, this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever with communities from around the world joining together again in a dramatic hour of action on climate change.
“After world leaders failed to agree a strong new international climate deal in Copenhagen it is vital that Governments urgently set out a clear timetable for when a legally binding agreement will be reached.”
WWF’s Earth Hour is being backed this year by COSLA and the Scottish Government. A COSLA spokesperson said:
“WWF’s Earth Hour is a simple way for people to show their support for strong action on climate change. The decision to join WWF's Earth Hour highlights the commitment by local authorities to this issue and demonstrates to others around the world that Scotland continues to take action to address climate change.”
Notes to Editors
[1] WWF's Earth Hour – 8.30pm, Saturday 27 March 2010
For more information about WWF’s Earth Hourhttp://www.wwfscotland.org.uk/earthhour
WWF's Earth Hour lights-out initiative began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 as an awareness-raising exercise. By 2009 3,000 cities and towns in more than 80 countries got involved with lights going out in 66 national capitals and 9 of the 10 most populated metropolises on the planet. Over 800 of the world’s most iconic landmarks also went dark last year including the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids of Giza. Here in Scotland, 19 local authorities, 200 schools and over one hundred businesses and organisations joined in by switching their lights off for one hour in a graphic demonstration of support for determined international action on climate change. Some of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks went dark including Edinburgh Castle, the Forth Bridge, Eilean Donan Castle, Glasgow's Clyde Arc (Squinty Bridge) and the Scottish Parliament.
[2] WWF Scotland is part of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, an alliance of development, environment and civil society groups aiming for tougher action to reduce emissions http://www.stopclimatechaosscotland.org
