Welcome to the Earth Hour global community!

FIFA kicks off with day of action for Earth Hour

The world’s football governing body FIFA, has promised to kick a winning goal for Earth Hour this year. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association is going well beyond the hour in 2012, switching off lights at its HQ in Zurich and holding a day of staff action, inviting its 208 member associations and more than 60 Football for Hope implementing organisations around the world, to also join in support for Earth Hour. “Our day of action will see FIFA staff participating in environmentally-friendly activities at work and on the way to the office”, says FIFA Head of CSR Federico Addiechi “These activities go in line with our year-round efforts to reduce the negative environmental impacts of our organisation and, since 2006, of the FIFA World Cup. Earth Hour is another excellent opportunity to raise awareness on environmental protection among our members worldwide. It is also a great occasion to further engage with our own staff on environmental actions we can take at work, that have a larger impact beyond the office walls.”

Rock band Akasha offers free concert in Earth Hour dare

The popular rock band Akasha from Costa Rica have joined as ambassadors for Earth Hour. They are inviting other musicians, their followers and the entire Latin America society to join the cause. The single “En el espejo”, from their latest album “Cerca del Sol” will be one of the official songs of the campaign in the Latin American region. “Akasha has always been a rock band that likes to raise awareness about matters that affect us all. Our target is to involve our community and invite the most possible number of people to be informed.  In order to accomplish this, we will use our single “En el espejo”, which encourages a positive change. We want to invite all to download our song free from our website www.AkashaRock.com and if we reach 50,000 downloads we will plant 500 trees, and we will perform a free concert in Costa Rica´s La Sabana park” said the band´s drummer Nara Barrantes.

View and accept Akasha’s I Will If You Will challenge

Miranda Kerr challenges fans for a second time round

Following on from the overwhelming response Miranda’s first IWIYW challenge received, the Earth Hour Ambassador has released a second challenge to her fans. This time she encourages the KORA Organics team to offset carbon emissions from all flights for 2012, if 500 people accept to do the same. You can check out her cool new video

UEFA urges football family to adopt sustainable practices

European football's governing body, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), will support Earth Hour in 2012 with the lights in UEFA's headquarters – the House of European Football in Nyon, on the banks of Lake Geneva in Switzerland – switching off for one hour from 20.30CET on Saturday. Peter Gilliéron, Chairman of the UEFA Fair Play and Social Responsibility Committee encourages people at all levels of football to adopt sustainable practices in benefit of the planet. “Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution. I’m glad UEFA is part of the 2012 Earth Hour. We encourage the whole football family – associations, leagues, clubs and fans – to adopt urgently needed sustainability practices and join the world’s largest voluntary action for the environment through the “I Will If You Will” initiative.”

Italian basketballers show their support for Earth Hour

Teramo, the popular Italian basketball team will be proudly wearing their Earth Hour T-shirts during their match against Bennet Cantu on March 31. Captain Gianluca Lulli says he and his team are excited about the prospect of supporting Earth Hour’s global campaign and taking the message to all their fans.“For the future of our planet the challenge is to change,” Lulli said. “All of us, even in our daily lives, can do our part to have a better future for the world and for our sons.”

Germany scores a century for Earth Hour

For the first time in Earth Hour history, more than 100 cities and towns will celebrate a more sustainable planet, right across Germany. The previous German record of 66 cities, in 2011, was already surpassed last week, with 103 signing on and more on the way. The five largest cities in Germany – Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt - will definitely be participating. The German capital will be holding its main event at the Brandenburg Gate, where 5000 candles will combine to form the shape of an 8-metre tall light bulb, surrounded by people holding Earth-shaped lanterns.

From Russia with love

Two of Russia’s most popular TV and radio presenters, Anton Komolov and Olga Shelest, are putting pen to paper for Earth Hour. They will be guest editors for the ‘green issue’ of Moscow’s high circulation Metro newspaper. In addition, the duo’s IWIYW challenge will see them hand out this issue to commuters on the Moscow underground and in the streets on March 30th, if 100,000 people sign WWF Russia’s petition on the new law about the protection of the seas.

Kenya’s solar Earth Hour

Earth Hour will be celebrated all over Kenya this year, with UNEP, Sarova hotels, and the Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA) all getting on board to do their bit for the planet. The KTDA are going way beyond the hour reducing energy consumption and water use at the headquarters and instigating a tree planting initiative to be taken up by some 540,000 farmers across the country. Of course the major Earth Hour events are planned in the capital and largest city, Nairobi. The main focus will be on the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) where the Earth Hour Kenya switch-off will take place. The KICC will be illuminated by solar lanterns provided by GIVEWATTS, an organisation working through schools and clinics to provide clean, solar lights to help alleviate the need for kerosene.

Swaziland Princess supports Earth Hour

Nathi Mzileni, Swaziland’s 16-year-old Earth Hour dynamo, has garnered even more support for his country’s campaign, securing the support of Princess Tsandzile, a minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The buildings of the Ministry, along with the Public Service Pension Fund, will turn off their lights on March 31. Nathi has also enlisted the Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC) to come on board as his country’s biggest sponsor, funding the printing of 300 Earth Hour posters. The SEC have created their own IWIYW challenge, offering to donate 2,000 energy saving light bulbs, if 2000 people sign up for Earth Hour. Nathi’s efforts have also seen more than 20 Swaziland schools joining the Earth Hour celebrations. This year, Earth Hour is being well promoted right across Swaziland, with the major event of the night being held at the Royal Swazi Spa.

Yammer I Will If You Will

The Yammer global team has pledged to volunteer efforts in local clean ups if in the next four weeks, 1,000 people pledge to pick up 10 pieces of rubbish each. Yammer has also promised to go further and donate $15,000 to the cause if 10,000 people pledge to pick up 10 pieces of rubbish. Join the Yammer challenge by pledging to pick up 10 pieces of trash. If you want to have some social media fun, tweet or Instagram your photos with the #YWIYW hashtag (Yammer Will If You Will) and the photos will be posted on the Yammer blog. Yammer  is the leading provider of enterprise social networks, enabling organisations to make transformative changes quickly by empowering employees to collaborate across departments, geographies, content and business applications. Companies and organisations from across the globe, including more than 85 percent of the Fortune 500, are using our award-winning Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution to improve employee productivity and engagement.

And the winner is....

Proving big things can come from even the smallest community, Ysgol Evan James primary school in Pontypridd, Wales, has been announced the 2012 winner of WWF’s Earth Hour Community Competition. Displaying an incredible amount of passion for the environment, the school will be encouraging pupils to plant and harvest their own fruit and vegetables in the school’s dedicated nature garden during the summer months. In addition, further action includes their planned re-model of the school grounds. Currently covered in tarmac, they are envisaging an eco-friendly yard with plant pots made from old tyres and wooden crates, and a green house made of old plastic bottles. Emma, Teaching Assistant at Ysgol Evan James says “Winning WWF’s Earth Hour community competition is a fantastic result. We’re really proud of the work we do everyday to teach children the importance of taking care of our planet and hope that we that we’ll be able to inspire others in our local community and across the UK too’’. The community will be holding a public event, starting at the school with the big switch off, followed by a candlelit walk around Pontypridd town.

Delhi cycling towards a greener future!

For the third consecutive year WWF India, in association with Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance Company Limited, particpiated in the ‘Earth Hour 2012 Cyclothon’, a signature lead up activity to Earth Hour in New Delhi. Over a 100 cyclists demonstrated solidarity and support for Earth Hour 2012 at the cyclothon as they cycled 8 kms from the WWF-India office along Lodhi Road in the heart of the city. In true Earth Hour style, this event brought together a diverse mix of demographics from corporate executives to schools to colleges students and even home makers. Addressing the crowd at the cyclothon, Mr. Ravi Singh, Secretary General & CEO, WWF-India said, “Every year, we aim to take Earth Hour to a new level and inculcate a sense of belongingness and ownership among people towards their planet’’.

Hotels lead the way for corporate participation in Earth Hour

Major hotel groups including Starwood Hotels, Hilton Hotels, and Fairmont Hotels, participating in some way on 31 March. While some will be switching off non-essential lights, and dimming further lights where possible, many will be going much further. To promote Earth Hour amongst both staff and guests, hotels around the world have been very innovative in their sustainable practices. Activities for the event range from Michelin-rated chefs creating special 'sustainable' menus (to be served by candle light, of course), guided star-gazing tours, top bar-staff mixing up Earth Hour cocktails for a special 'Happy Hour' as well as candle-lit count-down activities to ring in the hour. The far-reaching hotel industry will be greatly contributing to Earth Hour participation around the globe this year both by expanding reach and playing leadership roles. Starwood Hotels alone will be participating in over 65 countries, while the Pacific Resort Aitutaki has played a fundamental role in bringing Earth Hour to the Cook Islands. For many of these hotels, Earth Hour participation is but one of the extensive number of sustainability initiatives and practices they undertake. “I am delighted to see so many hotels supporting this important event and we are actively encouraging all employees to get involved. It’s not just a case of hotels turning their lights off for the full hour; we want everyone to put their thinking caps on for other initiatives which allow guests to be a part of WWF’s Earth Hour 2012’’ said Andrew Swindells, Chief Operating Officer of PPHE Hotel Group.

Island schools participate in Earth Hour for the first time

For the very first time, schoolchildren on Aruba, the tiny island in the southern Caribbean Sea, will be celebrating Earth Hour a day early this year. When the children turn up for school on Friday morning (March 30), the classroom air-conditioners and non-essential lights will be switched off from 8.30am until 9.30am, as a symbol of support for a more sustainable planet. The minister for Justice and Education and the Department of Education has confirmed that all schools on Aruba will be encouraged to organise their own Earth Hour events throughout the day and launch their own IWIYW challenges.