More than 100 countries and nearly 6000 cities have answered the call to action. Iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Empire State building in New York City, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Sydney’s Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Giza and Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro will stand in darkness, as symbols of a growing consciousness of an increasingly urgent cause.
Norway committed
The Norwegian government is also on board. So far 127 Norwegian municipalities, including the five biggest cities, have signed up for Earth Hour. So have 292 companies, 60 organizations and a number of institutions, schools and agencies. In Norway’s capital Oslo, a number of landmark buildings – such as the Opera, the Oslo Stock Exchange, the City Hall and the Court House – will turn black during Earth Hour.
- The impact of such a giant campaign as this will be felt within conference rooms and amongst decision makers. Global climate politics needs this message from a billion dedicated individuals at this stage. We promise to bring the message on to where the decisions are made, states Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim.
Photo: Arild Lyssand/MFA Norway Polar bear warning
The northernmost city participating in this global event is Longyearbyen on the Svalbard archipelago, north of mainland Norway.
Just a few weeks after the sun returned to Svalbard after a long winter, the city will again go dark. This is not without danger to the local inhabitants, due to the roaming polar bears.
- The effects of global climate change are particularly prevalent on Svalbard. Hence their participation in this climate campaign holds greats value. Global action against climate change can save the polar bears in the long run, says Secretary General Rasmus Hansson in WWF Norway.
The Embassy in Canberra goes green
In Norway, governmental buildings across the country will switch the lights off during Earth Hour, and abroad all Embassies are asked to participate. Close to the city where it all started, the Norwegian Embassy in Canberra is happy to join the show for the third year in a row. And for the Embassy down under the commitment is far from only a symbolic one. The Ambassador is proud to announce the Embassy’s action plan to go green.
- We are taking a systematic and thorough approach on reducing our carbon emissions and making the everyday work at the embassy green and sustainable. The whole staff is involved in the process and the commitment has so far been incontestable, Ambassador Siren Gjerme Eriksen says.
Ambassador Eriksen is looking forward to participating in Earth Hour. She urges everyone to take part in the historic event and emphasizes simultaneously the importance of extending the commitment beyond the one hour.
- Participating in Earth Hour is easy and entertaining. And making a long term effective change to your everyday life is not that much more difficult, neither for businesses, organizations or individuals. I hope a large global participation in Earth Hour can inspire further action at all levels against climate change.