FAQ’s

While WWF projects and individual actions under the Earth Hour movement continue throughout the year, the annual Earth Hour lights out event is held worldwide toward the end of March to encourage individuals, households, communities and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet.

The dates of Earth Hour from 2023 to 2030 are... 

• 25 March 2023  

• 23 March 2024  

• 22 March 2025  

• 28 March 2026  

• 20 March 2027  

• 25 March 2028  

• 31 March 2029  

• 30 March 2030 

Earth Hour is calling on individuals, communities, and businesses across the world to switch off their lights and Give an hour for Earth, spending 60 minutes doing something - anything - positive for our planet.  

Anyone, anywhere is invited to give an hour for Earth doing something they love. Whether it’s giving an hour through the realm of food, fitness and wellness, nature, creativity, entertainment, or sustainability - we want people to have fun on Earth Hour, and help the planet while they’re at it!  

For the past 10 years, people around the world have come together every Earth Hour to support efforts to tackle climate change. And, together, we have created a powerful movement that helped deliver strong global commitments to tackling this threat. Climate change remains a big challenge for us all.

But another urgent threat now demands our attention: the staggering loss of biodiversity and nature. Earth Hour today endeavors to spark global conversations on protecting nature not only because it is our strongest ally against to the climate crisis -  but also because of its importance in ensuring our own health, happiness, prosperity and even survival.

By registering for Earth Hour, individuals, communities and businesses are making a commitment to turn their lights off for an hour in acknowledgement of an act they will undertake for the benefit of the planet. We hope that these individuals, communities and businesses will take action beyond the hour through Earth Hour, WWF and/or other environmental organizations and initiatives.

Any partner must uphold and support the aims and principles of Earth Hour. These include encouraging individual and community engagement on environmental issues. Encouraging conscious decisions to change the way we live in order to affect environmental reform, without the use of scare tactics or shaming. The specific decisions about whether or not to partner with a group or corporation are made at local level by Earth Hour country and city teams based on what suits their needs and community in achieving the goals of Earth Hour.

Importantly, not everyone can call themselves partners of Earth Hour. The title “partner” is reserved only for organisations with a signed legal contract with WWF. Please refer to our Terms of Use for more information. 

Earth Hour came from a think tank initiated by Earth Hour Co-Founder, Andy Ridley, resulting in the formation of a partnership between WWF-Australia, Leo Burnett and Fairfax Media to address the climate change issue.

In 2007, there was still a degree of skepticism and denial on the issue of climate change. Earth Hour came as the inspiration to rally people to the reality of climate change and start a dialogue about what we as individuals can do to help address the planet’s biggest environmental challenge yet. Leo Burnett partnered with WWF to promote the idea and help make the campaign a reality in Sydney, a campaign which has now gone beyond Australia and climate change to symbolize the growing global pursuit of a better, sustainable future for all.

Earth Hour is an initiative of WWF. In 2007, WWF initiated Earth Hour as a way of engaging a broad section of society in the environmental issues challenging citizens across the world. WWF embraced the idea of an open source campaign that would allow communities and organizations to become part of a global movement to protect our planet.

Switch off and Give an hour for Earth by spending 60 minutes doing something - anything - positive for our planet! Don't know where to start? Check out this page for ideas!

Earth hour does not claim that the event is an energy or carbon reduction exercise - it is a symbolic action. Therefore, we do not engage in the measurement of energy or carbon reduction levels. Earth Hour is an initiative to encourage individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue and resource exchange that provides real solutions to our environmental challenges. Participation in Earth Hour symbolizes a commitment to change beyond the hour.

Earth Hour is not a black out. It is a voluntary action by its participants to show their commitment to an act of change that benefits the planet. For many businesses in city skyscrapers or for many government buildings, the lights are turned off at the end of the business day the Friday before Earth Hour. So, Earth Hour is more of a fade-out in some ways than a black out. There is usually no instant dramatic difference, but rather a gradual dimming of lights starting the day prior. Many major landmarks and neon signs are switched off for the hour and they are extremely noticeable. You may be able to see dramatic changes in large business districts or at iconic landmarks and buildings around the world and in your city.