EARTH HOUR 2015 AROUND THE WORLD

corporates, the team also organised a special fundraiser “Earth Hour Candle Light Dinner” on the night with the President of Fiji, Mr. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, attending as the guest of honour. The dinner was sponsored by Ocean Soaps and organised in partnership with Novotel.

OCEANIA

FRENCH

POLYNESIA (TAHITI)

AUSTRALIA

– PEOPLE SHOW AN #APPETITEFORCHANGE

– REVISITING THE PAST TO LIGHT UP THE FUTURE

With Aussie farmers and food feeling the heat of climate change, Earth Hour 2015 and the #appetiteforchange campaign reminded Australians of the need to tackle global warming for the sake of rural communities and supply of fresh, healthy food-- 93% of which comes from domestic farms.

“Back to Basics” was the main theme for Earth Hour Tahiti this year, which looked at tying tradition with action for a sustainable future. With events taking place across the islands, participants were required to present recyclable items as ‘entry tickets’ and invited to help switch off the interactive “light garlands” from which bulbs were removed as and when electricity usage dropped on the island. The Chamber of Commerce also helped support Earth Hour by inviting 102 hotels and restaurants to use candlelight in the evening.

With the first-ever Earth Hour ‘Planet to Plate’ cookbook featuring 52 recipes from top celebrity chefs and real-life stories from Australian farmers already on the bookstands, and over 1,000 events including pop-up paddock dinners celebrating Aussie farmers, Earth Hour 2015 was the biggest Australia has ever seen - fitting for the country that gave the world its very first Earth Hour.

NEW CALEDONIA – USING THE POWER OF THE CROWD TO SAVE THE ANCIENT ECOSYSTEM

Proceeds from sales of the cookbooks went towards Earth Hour’s work with schools, communities and business. Major events included “No Lights No Lycra” dance parties in each capital city, the Global Orchestra’s open invitation for the public to play in sync with their ‘Live’ performance screened online during the hour, and screenings of the Earth Hour Australia documentary. Earth Hour also sent a delegation of nine farmers to Parliament House to share their stories with politicians and call for stronger cuts to carbon pollution and a transition to renewable energy.

New Caledonia’s long-term goal this year is ensuring no tax exemption for the future carbon plant in Noumea. During the climate week between the 23rd and the 27th of March, the WWF office in New Caledonia invited school groups to help plant trees and save New Caledonia’s forest, an area dinosaurs once roamed. On The Night itself, Noumea's town council celebrated Earth Hour at the city’s historic central square, Place des Cocotiers, with music, drawing competitions, speeches on reducing one’s carbon footprint and an inspiring video message from Isabelle Autissier, President, WWF-France.

FIJI

– COMMUNITIES UNITE TO BUILD RESILIENCE

NEW ZEALAND

Using the power of Earth Hour to tackle the most pressing local climate issues, Earth Hour Fiji looked at inspiring and empowering the communities of Mali Island to rally around the cause of water security and access to clean drinking water. Apart from raising funds from

– CELEBRATING THE PLANET WITH LOVED ONES New Zealanders were invited to create, join and celebrate Earth Hour with their family, friends and communities. Many 1

showed their participation and enthusiasm on the Earth Hour Tracker, an interactive map showcasing the different Earth Hour events organized around the world.

global environmentalists aiming to promote environmental issues and actions in collaboration with WWF. The activities around the initiative are aimed at raising public awareness about Earth Hour, especially amongst the youth in order to push climate change and other environmental issues to the top of the country’s agenda. The team has also started a monthly Eco Laboratory that engages young students on the issue of climate change through interactive experiments, quizzes and exciting games through the year.

SAMOA

– PLANTING A GARDEN OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

BANGLADESH

Samoa, the first country to switch off for Earth Hour 2015, invited citizens to support the country’s ‘1 Million Trees’ campaign by planting trees at the All Saints Anglican Church, one of the oldest churches in Samoa and host of the main Earth Hour event. The trees they planted are now part of the country’s first ‘Earth Garden’. Lights out, flash mobs and cultural activities were also held to celebrate the hour, as Samoans reaffirmed their commitment to the Environment by pledging to go beyond the hour.

– FACING THE REALITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE As Bangladesh grapples with increasing vulnerability to climate change, local communities have embraced the Earth Hour movement as a platform to showcase the change they hope to spark together. On the occasion of Earth Hour 2015, the Climate Reality Project hosted a Climate Reality Presentation followed by symbolic Candle Lighting Ceremony in Dhaka. Attended by more than 50 climate experts in the country, the event was organised alongside other activities including a cycle rally, tree-planting, Earth Hour Challenges and a night walk.

ASIA ARMENIA

– AT FREEDOM SQUARE, CITIZENS UNITE FOR THE PLANET

BHUTAN

– A TREE-MENDOUS EARTH HOUR

On 28 March, people across Yerevan came together at the city’s landmark Freedom Square to celebrate Earth Hour. Inspired by the Earth Hour videos on display, people cycled and walked through the city streets to reassemble at Republic Square where they marked their commitment to the cause by lighting a candle and placing it with hundreds others to form an inspiring 60+ logo. Prior to the event, children across the country also drew their vision of a ‘Green Planet’ as part of a nationwide art competition, winners of which saw their entries displayed in the famous ‘Green Bean Cafe’ restaurant chain. Together with partners such as Coca Cola Armenia, HSBC Armenia, Federation of Amateur Cycling and Cycle Tourism, the Best Western Congress Hotel, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and various schools and eco-clubs, Earth Hour Armenia sent out a strong message on people’s desire for climate action.

WWF-Bhutan collaborated with the Department of Forest and Park Services, Ministry of Forest and Agriculture, local NGO partners and students and teachers at the Royal Thimphu College and Zilukha LSS to create the country’s first Earth Hour garden. On the night of Earth Hour, the national channel- Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) joined individuals and landmarks like the Memorial Chorten in observing the symbolic lights-out by blacking out TV screens. WWF-Bhutan also partnered with Bhutan telecom, the country’s largest mobile company to spread the word on Earth Hour amongst its 530,000 subscribers. The company also offered a 25% bonus for every e-recharge on 28th March to cut down the use of paper vouchers!

AZERBAIJAN

– INSPIRING THE YOUTH FOR CLIMATE ACTION Earth Hour Azerbaijan is organised by the International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA), a network of 2

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

to fight climate change, Earth Hour in China focused on spreading awareness on renewable energy amongst the public. Building on the success of its Blue Sky App last year which crowdsourced solutions to air pollution in the country, they continued using the Blue Sky theme to promote Earth Hour in 2015. Using the concept of ‘Around the Clock’, the team released stories and actions on renewable energy every hour in the 24-hour run-up to Earth Hour. The main ‘On The Night’ event featuring a TEDx inspired ‘Earth Hour Talk’ by guest speakers and actress Li Bingbing, was held in the solar-powered Capital Museum in Beijing. The team also installed a solar-powered rooftop system at the Capital Normal University, benefitting 30,000 students. Moving ahead, they will continue to mobilise the public to support WWF-China's call for renewable energy.

– CITIZENS USE THEIR POWER TO REDUCE THE USE OF POWER! Earth Hour Brunei’s 2015 campaign focused on creating awareness on power consumption to compliment the Sultan’s vision to reduce the country’s energy usage by 63% by 2035. Working with the government on the Working Paper on Energy, the campaign also ‘recycled’ its main Earth Hour event inviting participants to bring recyclable items and attend talks on reducing consumer waste. 252 kg of recyclables were collected within the first half hour itself! Influencers present at the event included singers Fakhrul Razi and Wu Chun, as well as ex-government officer, Sheikh Jamaluddin Mohamed.

HONG KONG

– MAKING INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS COUNT

CAMBODIA

Earth Hour Hong Kong 2015 aimed to address the lifestyle of over-consumption amongst Hongkongers through the theme "One Hour for One Bright Future", and focused on the potential of each individual to make a difference by leading sustainable lifestyles including awareness and action on renewable energy. A pledge to support Earth Hour and adopt sustainable behaviour for clothing, food, living and transportation was encouraged as part of the theme “One Earth Mission”. Following a 3D exhibition in early March, the night of Earth Hour saw citizens, celebrities and guests including Kay Tse, C AllStar and Chilam Cheung come together for a special countdown ceremony in the heart of Hong Kong as major landmarks including Tsing Ma Bridge, International Financial Centre, HSBC Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre and the Peak Galleria switched the lights off.

– YOUTH UNITE TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN With more than 60% of Cambodia’s population under 30, Earth Hour Cambodia focused on the power of the youth to raise awareness on climate change and encourage Cambodians to play an active role in environmental protection in the Kingdom. WWF-Cambodia collaborated with the Ambassador's Youth Council and the Ministry of Environment to organise a youth-oriented campaign, through social media, pre-event flash mobs, tie-ups with popular household brands and events. ‘On The Night’, two of Cambodia’s most popular celebrities, Chornn Sovannareach and Meas Soksophea, and youth gathered at the Royal University of Phnom Penh for lights-out, music performances and an educational role-playing act. Major landmarks such as the Royal Palace, the NAGA World Hotel and the Himawari Hotel joined the symbolic switchoff, while several local businesses jumped in to participate, including Mobitel - the nation's largest telecommunications company - which helped spread the message by sending out Earth Hour SMSes to all of its subscribers.

INDIA

– FOCUS ON RENEWABLES RENEWS HOPE TO CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE

CHINA

– FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE ‘AROUND THE CLOCK’

Working with the Delhi government, the Department of Forest and Environment, banks like HSBC, Canara, Oriental Bank of Commerce and imaging partner Canon, Earth Hour India aimed to build awareness on renewable energy to spark a transition towards clean, green sources of energy. Online retail players

Given the importance of transitioning towards clean and green energy 3

like ebay (India) showcased renewable energy products for customers online while raising funds for the ‘Sahasra Jyoti’ or ‘A Beacon for the Sundarbans' initiative to set up a solar grid for people in the Sundarbans island of West Bengal.

IRAQ

– PLANTING A SEED OF HOPE FOR THE PLANET

On the night of Earth Hour, WWF-India organized a Renewable Energy Green Fair in Delhi with activities such as upcycling workshops, sale of eco products, a Children’s Art Gallery, as well as an acoustic music concert by Advaita, a popular Indian band. Actor Arjun Kapoor, Earth Hour India’s brand ambassador, attended as a special guest.

Despite the tensions prevailing in the region, a refugee camp in Sulaimaniya city in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq organised a small event to commemorate Earth Hour where camp residents and local communities came together to plant trees in the camp. Sponsored by the Lafarge-Iraq Volunteer Team and organised by the Green environment organisation, the 70 saplings slowly starting to blossom in the area are a source of inspiration, a symbol of hope that change can start anywhere, anytime and it starts with each of us. At 8.30pm, a symbolic switch-off took place in the Sulaimaniya Governorate with landmarks such as the Hotel grand millennium, Sulaimani City Star building, City Center, Korak telecom and the Faruq Group Building going dark to highlight the need for climate action.

WWF-India’s state and field offices also held separate events outside of Delhi.

INDONESIA

– MORE THAN ONE MILLION PEOPLE UNITE FOR THE PLANET Taking on the theme of “Hijaukan Hutan, Birukan Laut” (Green the Forest and Blue the Ocean), Earth Hour Indonesia aimed to empower the local community to do their part for the planet. From supporting the crowdfunding projects shared on the Earth Hour platform - ‘SOS Sebangau’ and ‘Help the Elephants’, to participating in a 7km Night Run led by Indorunners Community to fundraise for 7 of WWFIndonesia’s environmental projects and using the new photo-sharing app Bengga, which committed to donate $0.20 to $0.50 cents for every ReBengga of the Earth Hour ‘Tweet of the Day’, Indonesians came out in strong numbers to support the cause. On The Night, at least 1 million people joined the global celebration in Jakarta alone.

JAPAN

THE COUNTRY UNITES TO SCORE A GOAL FOR THE PLANET! This Earth Hour, WWF-Japan decided to combine Japan’s passion for football with the country’s commitment to change climate change! A unique collaboration with the Yokohama F Marinos football club saw the team mascot and player “Marinosuke” join the Earth Hour countdown in Yokohama, as fans attending a soccer match in a stadium elsewhere viewed the Earth Hour video on the big screen. Supported by the Minister of the Environment, Yokohama city and sponsored by Ecorika Inc, Yokohama Minatomirai 21, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Panasonic Corporation, Yokohama F Marinos and mont-bell Co. Ltd., the Earth Hour Japan team also conducted workshops on renewable energy prior to the event and will continue to engage businesses for WWF-Japan’s climate change programme beyond the hour.

IRAN

– PLANTING TREES FOR A BETTER TOMORROW Earth Hour in Iran focused on sustainable development, joining forces with the Urban Service Department of Isfahan Municipality, Natural Resources Week and National Tree Planting Day to create a maximum impact. With the government and several NGOs on board, the campaign focused on renewable energy and sustainable water flow in the Zayanderud River, which recently dried out due to unsustainable use. 5 million tree seedlings were distributed in Tehran on National Tree Planting Day.

Landmarks which joined the country in celebrating the planet with a symbolic lights off include the Cosmo Clock and Landmark Tower in Yokohama, Tokyo Tower and Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka.

4

generation used to recycle all the time. The Al Fanar Mall, one of the top landmark shopping malls in Kuwait, joined the movement by switching off the lights and organising a candle installation with a strong message: "Together, We Can Make Difference for the Earth!"

JORDAN

– DECODING THE CLIMATE PUZZLE TOGETHER

LEBANON

– A PERFORMANCE FOR THE PLANET!

Supported by Greenpeace and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, Earth Hour Jordan brought students, digital influencers, local governors and the private sector together to spread awareness and action on climate change in Jordan. From a digital tweet-up to use hashtags #‫ضرالاـةعاس‬ and #earthhourjo to educational training games, puzzle and painting workshops for children, discussion panels and even a ‘Use #YourPower’ video competition, Earth Hour Jordan saw participation from people from all walks of life. Popular landmarks which joined the lights off included the busy Rainbow Street in Jabal Amman with its popular restaurants and cafes. Going beyond the hour, participating hotels were also encouraged to install solar panels for energy efficiency while other businesses were invited to support Earth Hour in the long term.

Earth Hour 2015 in Lebanon saw the Biel Pavillion Royal open its doors for a night of live entertainment, including performances by renowned artists like Joe Kodeih and a battle of the bands to heat up the celebration!

MACAU

– HOTELS MARK THE NIGHT BY TURNING OFF THE LIGHTS Sands China Ltd. supported Earth Hour once again by switching off the exterior lights and non-essential lighting across all of their properties including Sands Macao and Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao that comprises of The Venetian Macao; The Plaza Macao featuring Four Seasons; and Sands Cotai Central featuring Conrad, Sheraton and Holiday Inn.

KAZAKHSTAN

– CELEBRATING EARTH HOUR, BIODIVERSITY AND FORESTS!

MALAYSIA

– CITIES LIGHT THE WAY FOR CLIMATE ACTION

Together with the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and the National Forest Planting Day initiative, Earth Hour in Kazakhstan united people, landmarks, corporates like JSC Astana and Beeline mobile, and TV stars such as Maya Bekbayeva and Almas Ashim for the planet.

Cities in Malaysia led the charge to make Earth Hour a night to remember. With four cities being shortlisted as finalists in the Earth Hour City Challenge, Earth Hour Malaysia called on all city-dwellers to participate in special night walks to show their concern for climate change and environmental protection efforts in Malaysia. Riding the Earth Hour wave, WWF-Malaysia also crowdfunded locally for efforts to restore Malaysian forests in a bid to change climate change.

Supported by the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture and the cities of Astana and Almaty, celebrations on the night saw more than 100 landmarks throughout Kazakhstan and Central Asia including the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO World Heritage site, go dark.

In addition, the team also used Earth Hour to raise awareness about the proposed Tun Mustapha Park (TMP), slated to become the largest marine protected area (MPA) in Malaysia, ensuring the sustainable management of significant marine resources to benefit more than 80,000 people living in the area.

KUWAIT

– CITY MALLS GO DARK FOR EARTH HOUR Earth Hour Kuwait aimed to raise awareness about the need to reduce carbon emissions and increase awareness on recycling by showing the youth how their grandparents’ 5

MALDIVES

OMAN

Centred in the city of Fuvahmulah, Earth Hour Maldives brought together local communities to spread awareness on energy-saving and the impact of climate change, poised to be a major challenge for this island nation in the future.

Focusing on saving energy as the theme for this year, given its relevance in the local context, ESO organised a four-week media awareness campaign leading up to Earth Hour in Oman. ‘On The Night’, companies, individuals, schools and government offices switched off all non-essential lighting, along with the Royal Opera House and the Grand Mosque in Muscat which also went dark.

– TOGETHER FOR CLIMATE ACTION

– SAVE ENERGY, SAVE THE PLANET

MONGOLIA

– EARTH HOUR ENERGY ENGULFS THE COUNTRY

PAKISTAN

– SHOW YOUR TALENT FOR THE PLANET

Celebrating its sixth Earth Hour to date, Mongolia witnessed an outpouring of support from communities across the country in both rural and urban areas. On 28 March, about 3,000 people came to celebrate Earth Hour in special ‘Candle Evening’ gatherings organised in different provinces. Iconic buildings switched off their lights, including the province parliaments and Culture Palace. In the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, over 1,000 people gathered with their candles and enjoyed unplugged music and entertainment from traditional celebrities.

Thousands gathered at Pakistan's Qarshi University to participate in a performing arts competition and showcase their talent for the planet on the night of Earth Hour. As the lights went out in universities, restaurants and households, people turned on their talent to show their commitment to the planet. Celebrities such as actors Ayesha Omar, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Aysha Khan, Saba Hameed, music sensation Ali Noor, cricketer Saeed Ajmal, mountain climber Nazir Sabir and renowned designer Deepak Perwani also joined in the celebrations.

NEPAL

– YOUTH LEAD THE CHARGE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

STATE OF PALESTINE – SPREADING ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS WITH EARTH HOUR

Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, came alive as more than five thousand people, mostly youth, from different walks of life turned up to celebrate Earth Hour in Nepal. Based on the theme ‘Change Climate Change’ and using music as the centerpiece, Earth Hour appealed to the youth to use individual and collective action to protect the planet. The event featured 1974AD, Nepal’s leading rock ensemble, and tied in with WWF Nepal’s The Generation Green (TGG) campaign that gives Nepal’s youth a collective platform to engage in environmental preservation and sustainable development efforts. WWFNepal has also been working closely with the government on an important policy that if approved, would support solar energy expansion in Nepal through subsidies for household solar panels, starting first in Kathmandu and with plans for other major cities.

In the State of Palestine, the Earth Hour team aims to boost environmental knowledge among the community. Through events in different cities including a beach clean-up and a tree planting campaign as well as a partnership with the Youth Ministry, Earth Hour hopes to mobilize the youth to join the global community in its efforts for a sustainable planet.

THE PHILIPPINES – USE YOUR POWER (AND DANCE MOVES) FOR THE PLANET!

Vivacious dancing powered 6

Earth Hour in the Philippines this year, as a zumba dance event with 80s themed dancers in glow in the dark outfits took over the Quezon Memorial Circle to mark the 75th anniversary of Quezon. With interactive donor booths, drum light and LED dance performances and special guests such as Marc Nelson, Rovilson Fernandez and Mikee CojuangcoJaworski, the energy and enthusiasm of the people to do their part for the planet was palpable.

innovative 'Tap-to-Donate' electronic donation booth for WWF-Singapore's work on climate and other environmental issues including a crowdfunding project ‘Be The Eye of The Tiger aiming to raise USD 30,000 to install satellite-enabled camera traps to protect tigers in Indonesia. On the night activities were cancelled as a mark of respect to the passing of Singapore’s founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew in the week preceding Earth Hour.

Visitors and participants were also invited to support the Earth Hour Philippines’ crowdfunding project – Gift of Light, which aims to raise USD 21,000 to deploy portable solar lights (sponsored by Philips) in and around the island of Northern Palawan to reduce local dependence on dirty and dangerous kerosene lamps and firewood. Beyond the Hour programs in the Philippines include solar-power piloting, rainwater harvesting, energy efficiency audit and a climate workshop for LGUs.

SOUTH KOREA

– CHANGING THE COLOUR OF THE SKY TO CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE Earth Hour in South Korea kicked off with the Blue Sky App launch on the 18th of March showing users that switching from coal to renewable energy in Korea will help turn the grey sky into a shade of blue. Users were then invited to participate in a photo contest for the most ‘Beautiful Picture of Korea’. In addition to communityled events throughout Korea, Earth Hour was officially celebrated in Seoul Square, through a carbon neutral event with unplugged entertainment and candlelight ending with a fun-filled flashmob, organised in partnership with Seoul Metropolitan Government.

QATAR

– A SLOGAN FOR THE CAUSE & A TREE FOR THE PLANET! A fun, competitive element was incorporated into Earth Hour Qatar this year, as Earth Hour organizer Estemada organised an environmental slogan competition to engage the public in committing to protecting the planet. The ten selected winners were then invited to plant a tree of their own on the Pearl-Qatar expanse, accompanied by a plaque bearing their name and winning slogan!

SRI LANKA

– IGNITING AWARENESS & ACTION ON CLIMATE

SAUDI ARABIA

– COUNTRY UNITES TO MARK EARTH HOUR

Supported by the Ministry of Environment, Earth Hour Sri Lanka invited participants to pledge to switch off and go beyond the hour with individual actions. The key event at Crescat Boulevard brought together hundreds of supporters for open-mic educational talks about climate change and its impact on Sri Lanka, as well as celebratory activities with traditional cultural dances and performances and a fire dance performance.

Individuals, businesses and communities across the country were invited to register their lights-out activities to commemorate Earth Hour and participate in a symbolic act for the environment. Currently in its 5th year, Earth Hour Saudi Arabia did not organize major events in the country as a mark of respect to the recent passing of King Abdullah.

With Otara Gunawardena - Sri Lankan entrepreneur, philanthropist, designer and fashion icon - rallying corporate and public participation as Sri Lanka's Earth Hour Ambassador, the initiative garnered support from businesses including Coco Veranda, John Keels Lands, Virtusa, Coca Cola, Ozo Colombo etc.

SINGAPORE

– LIVING THE REALITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN A FANTASY TRAIL A specially created "Climate Change Trail" along the island country’s iconic Orchard Road invited passers-by to see and feel how disrupted daily life could be if no action is taken to change climate change. The trail also featured an 7

TAIWAN

– POWERING UP FOR THE PLANET Earth Hour Taiwan 2015 aimed to advocate climate change (energy-saving) and habitat conservation (Satoyama Initiative & Species Survey) and raise the public's awareness on the relationship between climate change, human behavior and habitat conservation. With a plethora of high-energy activities held in Taipei’s City Hall Square, including a zero-carbon carnival and the Satoyama Market with over 10 booths selling natural farming products by local farmers to promote low-carbon lifestyles, the event showed visitors how to use their power for the planet. Six public lectures were also delivered to teach people how to use their power to build a green city, complemented by an environmental documentary in an open-air cinema near Taipei 101 to raise the public's awareness on climate change. This screening involved more than 1,000 volunteers cycling to generate electricity to power the screening of the film. Last but not least, a "Big-Tree Auditorium" was hosted with people who work on climate-related issues being invited to give a 20-minute talk on success stories.

THAILAND

– TURNING OFF LIGHTS TO TURN THE TIDE In 2015, WWF-Thailand worked with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to build awareness on Earth Hour and the need to take a stand for climate action. The team launched an online platform encouraging people to ‘Turn Off to Make Change’ and pledge to do their part in making a difference. With close to 5,000 people participating, the campaign generated significant media interest and support from corporates such as Millionium Hilton Bangkok, B. Grimm, TRUE Corporate, Tetra Pak, MBK Centre and Fuji Xerox.

TURKEY

– UNIVERSITIES SWITCH OFF IN A ‘LANDMARK’ MOVE FOR THE PLANET! The academic world in Turkey put its force behind Earth Hour 2015 with the Rector, Vice Rector, faculty and students at the Ibrahim Cecen Foundation and the A rı brahim Çeçen University joining the country’s most famous landmarks in switching off the lights. Across Turkey, iconic tourist attractions like the Bosphorus Bridge, the Hagia Sophia Museum, Galata Tower, Topkapi and Dolmabahce palaces, the Ortakoy Mosque, the Rumeli Fortress and the Tower Clock of Izmir, went dark to cast light on the need for climate action.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – UNITED FOR THE PLANET Given the relevance and importance of water treatment and conservation in the region, Earth Hour UAE aimed to spread awareness on water efficiency and its role in changing climate change. Apart from a lights off in all seven emirates, the team also created a fun and light-hearted tongue twister video about climate change, challenging people to upload videos of themselves (and friends) reciting the tongue twister. Corporations were engaged to donate and promote a fundraising campaign for EWS-WWF's climate change project.

VIETNAM

– LIVE WELL & SAVE THE PLANET Earth Hour Vietnam is led by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) in support of WWF-Vietnam. This year, MIT decided to celebrate Earth Hour with a lights-out event a week earlier on Sunday 22 March. On the same day, a tree planting event in Vietnam Ba Vi National Park brought together WWF staff, students from Vietnam Forestry University, Le Quy Don Secondary School, and media partners. In addition, WWF-Vietnam also launched the "Live well and Save The Planet!" digital campaign calling on individuals and corporate partners to act for the environment in order to adapt and mitigate climate change which affects people all over the world.

used a colourful mix of initiatives to spread the message. Primary school children across the four countries of Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) took part in a regional art competition on climate change and the planet to draw attention to the need for climate action and its role in building a sustainable future.

AFRICA ALGERIA

– DRUMMING UP SUPPORT FOR CLIMATE ACTION

GHANA

– STUDENTS UNITE FOR GHANA’S FIRST EARTH HOUR

Focused on inspiring the public to take climate action, Earth Hour Algeria reached out to the country’s youth to spark efforts to change climate change. The main ‘On The Night’ event saw hundreds gather to celebrate their commitment to the planet with a collective mural, flashmobs, bike rides, live entertainment and superhero mascots drumming up the enthusiasm and excitement.

Ghana celebrated its first Earth Hour at the University of Ghana, with music and dance performances underlining the students’ passion to take action for the planet. Various hotels across the country also turned off their non-essential lights during the hour.

BOTSWANA

KENYA

– MAKING PEOPLE & AGRICULTURE CLIMATE-SMART

– SOLAR LANTERNS LIGHT UP HOMES OF THE MAASAI

Earth Hour Botswana 2015 focused on raising public awareness on climate-smart agriculture and its impact on food security. Building partnerships with agricultural businesses and the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, Earth Hour Botswana organised discussion forums on reducing the country’s impact on climate while building its resilience to climate change especially in the agricultural sector. Individuals were invited to use their power (and a shovel!) to do their part to change climate change by planting saplings of faidherbia albida which increases soil fertility while absorbing carbon. ‘On The Night’, while eager supporters thronged the main event at a stadium in Jwaneng, restaurants, homes, government offices, hotels and companies turned off their lights for the hour, pledging to use energy efficiently and utilise alternative sources of energy. Beyond the hour, the team will continue to spread awareness on renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture and the importance of carbon sequestration along with forestation drives.

This year, for the first time in Kenya, Earth Hour was synonymous with bringing light instead of turning them off! WWF-Kenya partnered with the Wildlife Foundation and the Kenya Wildlife Services to provide solar lanterns to light up the Massa Kraal (traditional huts of the Maasai tribes) and wean families off paraffin lamps. Serving as Predator Deterrent Lights (PDLs), the solar lamps serve a dual purpose of providing light to families while also deterring wild animals and avoiding human-wildlife conflict. ‘On The Night’, the main Earth Hour event took place in Kajiado, with a keynote speech by the Governor of Kajiado County. In May, WWF-Kenya also hosted an Earth Hour Climate Change Adaptation panel in Nairobi bringing together key experts and representatives from the government, the research and academia world and civil society to discuss adaptation mechanisms for the country.

CAMEROON, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAR), DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) & GABON

LESOTHO

– EARTH HOUR BREAKS NATIONAL PARTICIPATION RECORDS

– PAINTING A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE PLANET

Lesotho saw its fifth and largest Earth Hour event this year. The team hosted an energy conservation festival with local artistes performing for a crowd of 1,000 people

Educating children on climate change is a critical pillar of awareness efforts, and the WWF regional team in Africa 9

including Parliament Ministers and the Managing Director of the Lesotho Electricity Company. Beyond the hour, the team will continue to engage the country’s youth in efforts to change climate change by installing energy-efficient lights in schools, and incorporating climate messaging in the curriculum.

NAMIBIA

– NAMIBIA SCORES BIG FOR EARTH HOUR 2015! The Earth Hour team in Namibia launched a campaign with Soccer Laduma, the biggest soccer publication in Africa with a weekly reach of 3.2 million. They interviewed local and international soccer stars who championed change for climate change. In addition, several South African soccer legends joined a club called Global United, aimed at raising awareness about climate change. On the day of Earth Hour, Global United played a celebrity match to celebrate the planet.

LIBYA

– SPREADING AWARENESS, EDUCATION & HOPE ON CLIMATE In Libya, the Benghazi Skype school, an e-learning nonprofit organization providing free education to those unable to attend school due to the conflict, was determined to join the global celebration despite the odds it faced. With households in eastern Libya facing continuous electricity black-outs, the team on the ground decided to take another path: create online teaching modules on environmental education and encourage students to participate in an online Earth Hour event registered on the Earth Hour Tracker instead.

NIGERIA

– SPREADING AWARENESS TO IGNITE CLIMATE ACTION The main aim for Earth Hour Nigeria was to spread awareness on climate change, and inform people about how they can each use their power to change climate change. Hotels and universities in various cities throughout the country switched off their lights while the documentary, “Walk To Mali”, was screened, and an exhibition on Earth Hour Nigeria’s past projects was held at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja. The event was attended by people from all walks of life including government officials and television and radio personalities like Big Mo, the lead presenter for the WAZOBIA FM radio station based in Abuja.

The school’s insistence on “participating with the rest of the world” in spite of the challenges illustrates the commitment people hold towards our planet, and a symbol of what we can achieve when we choose to use our power collectively.

MADAGASCAR

– TAKING CLIMATE ACTION TO THE STREETS

SOUTH AFRICA

– EARTH HOUR BRIDGES THE GAP ON CLIMATE CHANGE

In Madagascar, a country highly vulnerable to climate change, hundreds took to the streets to show the concern and priority they attach to firm climate action. From the capital Antananarivo to four other cities across the country, people united to raise public awareness on the need to change climate change.

Climate change affects everyone and Earth Hour in South Africa focused on making ordinary South Africans aware of the impact of climate change on food, energy and water. How? Through a tie-up with the country’s most widely distributed weekly newspaper, Soccer-Laduma, massscale SMS servicing and TV and radio spots with Miss Earth South Africa and local community leaders. As Earth Hour strived to bridge the gap between awareness and action on climate, the Nelson Mandela Bridge went dark to spread the message of solidarity for the planet! The event in Cape Town also saw the Mayor come out in support of the cause and watch the screening of environmental documentaries powered by cycling by volunteers.

MAURITIUS

– SAY NO TO PLASTIC! This Earth Hour, the team in Mauritius launched an anti-plastic campaign called Eco-Shivaratree, and also conducted talks in schools to raise awareness about the need to change climate change.

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TANZANIA

ZAMBIA

– USING SOLAR ENERGY TO POWER EDUCATION

– SAVING ENERGY TO SAVE THE CLIMATE Earth Hour Zambia ran a television campaign centered around the topic of energy conservation and climate change, in the hopes of influencing cities across the country to join the movement. The main event on 28 March was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Energy and other relevant stakeholders in the industry and featured talks on climate change and energy conservation.

Earth Hour Tanzania was all about solar power this year. Through the campaign “Solar 4 Education”, or S4E in short, WWF-Tanzania and its partners sought to improve public understanding and adoption of solar energy solutions for lighting in off-grid rural schools and the communities of coastal Tanzania. Schools and students were engaged in an awareness campaign on the use of solar energy through essay-writing competitions, following which the two winning schools received access to solar power benefitting 800 students in all.

EUROPE

TUNISIA

ALBANIA

– A SPORTING WAY TO TAKE UP THE CLIMATE CAUSE

– COUPLES SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE PLANET

Earth Hour 2015 in Tunisia saw thousands take a stand for climate action as they gathered at a number of cultural and sporting events including the Pandathlon, biking and kayaking to show their commitment to the cause. People were also invited to join WWF-Tunisia and its partners in planting 2,000 trees in the El Faoura forest as a symbol of their dedication to change climate change. ‘On The Night’, volunteers lit up the fort of Hammamet with ‘bicycle power’ even as the city centre witnessed a high-energy flash mob performance.

Albania kicked off Earth Hour with climate change seminars being organised in schools and a city-wide inter-school competition to collect recyclable items in Tirana. In the run-up to Earth Hour, several promotional activities were organized to raise awareness on climate change, including couples dressing up as brides and grooms on Valentine’s Day to form a 60+ logo, sending out the message that the planet is our partner and needs care and commitment. ‘On The Night’, AlbaElettrica distributed 500 free economic lamps to Earth Hour supporters to drive home the message about renewable energy. More than 5,000 people signed the "Even I for Earth" campaign as a personal expression of their support and participation at Earth Hour.

UGANDA

– CREATING A FOREST TO MAKE A SEA OF CHANGE

AUSTRIA

Building on the success of the first ever Earth Hour forest that was created in Uganda in 2013, Earth Hour Uganda powered forward with their campaign this year to raise funds and help 200 families living around the Earth Hour forest build sustainable livelihoods. The team hopes to help villagers revive a beekeeping business to improve their income and use their profit savings for health, education and reforestation efforts. This source of income would also help them to reduce their dependency on the forest for firewood and invest in renewable energy instead. Through Earth Hour, the team also hopes to boost ongoing discussions with the government on creating and protecting a second Earth Hour Forest in Uganda.

– LANDMARKS TURN DARK AS YOUTH ‘SWITCH ON’ FOR CLIMATE ACTION Earth Hour Austria involved all its provincial capitals and major cities to turn off the lights of the most well-known landmarks in the country including the Castle of Schönbrunn, the City Hall in Vienna, the Golden Roof in Innsbruck, the Mozart city lights of Salzburg and many others. ‘On The Night’, 1,500 people participated in the Earth Hour event organized by WWF’s Youth Taking Action for The Earth (YTAE) which included an information stand, a photo competition and a Poetry Slam Party. 11

BELARUS

A stand-up comedy show was held at the Art of Laugh Studio in Zagreb, and featured famous Croatian stand-up comedians. Awareness-raising activities also took place in IKEA, with the organisation promoting Earth Hour in their stores in Zagreb.

Earth Hour in Belarus involved the entire community, with the main event including lights out on Minsk avenue, housing university buildings, shopping centers and cafes. Other cities of Belarus also participated in the event (Grodno, Gomel, Brest, Baranovichi), with candlelit musical concerts. In addition, climate change workshops were organised to reach out to the youth.

CYPRUS

– CITIES & COMMUNITIES UNITE TO CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE

– FROM THE PRESIDENT TO PRIMARY SCHOOLS, EVERYONE IS PUTTING CLIMATE CHANGE FIRST Strongly supported by the government and the Commissioner for the Environment, Earth Hour in Cyprus saw the President of the Republic join forces with thousands of school children to highlight the importance of climate action. The Parliament also invited students to participate in the environmental committee session to express their views on issues like transportation.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – EUROVISION ENCOURAGES A NEW VISION FOR THE PLANET

Concurrently, a march against climate change was organized, where the “last” snowman of Cyprus participated alongside bears that are threatened by climate change. Going beyond the hour, the team in Cyprus joined forces with the University of Cyprus to develop a proposal to implement a tram system in the country.

Apart from the traditional lights off on the iconic Old Bridge, a EuroVision Concert was held to engage the youth and encourage them to combat climate change.

BULGARIA

– WATCHING THE RIVERS, GUARDING THE PLANET

DENMARK

– EXPERIENCING CLIMATE CHANGE ‘IN THE WILD’

This year for Earth Hour, WWF-Bulgaria decided to raise awareness on rivers, which are heavily impacted by climate change. In 2014, various dikes broke as a result of heavy rains and floods leading to overflowing rivers. Scientists predict that this trend will continue to impact Central and Eastern Europe. Therefore, the team in Bulgaria called on individuals to become “river watchers” and collect photos of problems along their rivers, like pollution, excess water extraction or ineffective fish passages, and share them online on a special website - reki.bg.

Earth Hour Denmark was experiential and interactive this year, as WWF organized events in three different zoos inviting people to take immersive climate walks in the dark. The experiential walks culminated in the formation of a polar bear image made with LED lighting. The team will continue to increase awareness about climate change among members of the public and politicians, and promote calls to act for the planet.

FINLAND

CROATIA

– FOOD WITH A THOUGHT FOR THE PLANET

Earth Hour was used as a platform for WWF-Adria and other NGOs to garner support for the #soszajadran campaign (SOS for Adriatic sea), to draw attention to oil and gas exploration in the Adriatic. A round table meet involving WWF staff and climate and energy experts was organized on 27 March to discuss the issue.

Focusing on climate and food, Earth Hour Finland challenged local restaurants to create climate-friendly menus and organize candlelit dinners. With more than 1,700 people present for their indoor picnic, the team in Finland beat the record for the largest group candlelit dinner in the world. Going beyond the hour, WWF-Finland also organised a local crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for several conservation projects, including an initiative to provide biogas stoves to rural communities in Nepal.

– LIGHTS OUT FOR THE SEA

Croatia also organised a photo competition for Earth Hour 2015, and 45 cities switched off throughout the country. 12

GREECE

FRANCE

– A BETTER LIFE FOR A BETTER PLANET

– LIGHTING UP THE EIFFEL TOWER & THE NEED FOR CLIMATE ACTION

WWF-Greece used Earth Hour as a platform to promote their “Better Life” project, which aims to guide citizens to make day-to-day choices that would benefit themselves and the planet. Acropolis, the majestic citadel of Greece and home to the famous Parthenon, turned off its lights as a grand gesture of support for the movement.

With all eyes on France, host of the critical COP-21 this year, WWF-France used Earth Hour to mobilise French citizens and kickstart the debate on climate action. Several dignitaries including Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, Isabelle Autissier, President of WWF-France, Philippe Germa, CEO of WWF-France, Marco Lambertini, DirectorGeneral of WWF-International, David Nussbaum, CEO WWF-UK and President of WWF-International Initiative on Climate and Energy, turned off the lights on the Eiffel Tower along with Ségolène Royal, French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, and Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophonie.

HUNGARY

– HEALTHY RIVERS FOR A HEALTHY PLANET With the focus being on the health of rivers and wetlands, Earth Hour Hungary organized a crowdfunding initiative to support a model of wetland cultivation that fights climate change effects such as floods and droughts. The team also introduced an invasive plant species to produce biomass to be used as fuel for local government buildings.

Event attendees then danced on an energy floor to relight the landmark. 292 other monuments in the French capital also switched off their lights, including Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, Notre Dame de Paris, Hôtel des Invalides, the Champs Elysées, and all the bridges in Paris.

While cities across the country competed for the title of “Earth Hour Capital” by organizing their own city greening initiatives including local ‘green days’ where cities collected garbage and invited volunteers to join the movement, Budapest saw an Earth Hour party being held on the night with a free concert by popular band, The Mary Popkids.

WWF-France also supported its field office in New Caledonia, to raise funds to restore New Caledonia’s forests through reforestation efforts on Earth Hour’s crowdfunding platform.

IRELAND

GERMANY

– PRAYING FOR THE PLANET

– SPREADING CLIMATE AWARENESS THROUGH THE GLOBE

Eco-Congregation Ireland not only encouraged churches to switch off the lights, but also organised a time of prayer and reflection, inviting members of the local community to join in.

Despite lights being switched off across the country, Germany was eye-catchingly bright for Earth Hour this year. Once the lights at the Brandenburg Gate were turned off, 13 inflatable globes including the 3-metre wide “Earth Globe” were lit up to shed light on the issue of climate change. Highlighting the cause, Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site, also participated in the lights off.

JERSEY

– A MENU FOR PLANET EARTH Guests and staff at Radission Blu Jersey were treated to a night of festivities on Earth Hour! The hotel lowered the hotel’s energy consumption for the night by switching off its logos, as well as reducing the level of indoor lighting in its restaurant, public areas and the spa & gym. The hotel’s restaurant offered a special three-course “Earth Hour Menu” which included sustainable local dishes. Apart from hosting an acoustic concert, a special luminous cocktail was also concocted in support of Earth Hour.

GIBRALTAR

– A WEEKEND IN DARKNESS FOR A FUTURE FULL OF LIGHT Gibraltar commemorated Earth Hour by switching off various landmarks, including the Moorish Castle, the North Face of the Rock of Gibraltar, and the Convent for the weekend. 13

KOSOVO

MALTA

Earth Hour Kosovo was celebrated by switching off the lights in main buildings and the city square. The event was complemented by other activities, such as encouraging supporters to sign the white paper on Kosovo’s Energy Sustainability initiative. The main event was also graced by the President of Pristina City.

Earth Hour Malta sought to mobilize the public and private sectors to actively promote renewable energy through a proposal to the government to install solar panels on public flood relief canals. Moving forward, Earth Hour Malta aims to engage 80% of school students through the national eco-schools network.

– LIGHTS OUT, CLIMATE ACTION ON!

– A CALL TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY

‘On The Night’, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change organised a number of events in the capital city of Valletta, including a public concert with one of Malta’s leading singers and goodwill ambassador for sustainable development, Ms. Ira Losco. The night concluded with a flash-mob, during which energy saving bulbs were given out to those present.

LATVIA

– A LIFESTYLE FOR THE PLANET Latvia’s Earth Hour was supported by the state, municipality, and other NGOs coming together to highlight the impacts of climate change and how to deal with it through examples of good day-to-day practices. The campaign aimed to promote climate-friendly lifestyles across the country.

MONTENEGRO

– UNMASKING THE REALITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Earth Hour Latvia 2015 saw new records being set, with 58 municipalities and over 20 local communities in the area organising their own Earth Hour activities, including gatherings by candle light, night treks, environmental workshops, and concerts. Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council also called on citizens to support Earth Hour.

Earth Hour in Montenegro was celebrated in the capital of Podgorica with performances by local band PARAMPAŠ AD, dancers, and a freestyle footballer. There was also a masquerade for kindergarten children. When the lights went out, a stage with fluorescent balloons was set up and the team organised education workshops for children to raise awareness about climate change and recycling.

LIECHTENSTEIN

– AN HOUR IN THE DARK TO CAST LIGHT ON CLIMATE ACTION

NETHERLANDS

– A ‘LANDMARK’ CALL TO ACTION!

Students of the University of Liechtenstein welcomed the community of Liechtenstein at Spielplatz Äule in Vaduz at 8 pm, where everyone celebrated an hour in the dark.

The lights at the historic National Maritime Museum were turned off by Dutch Astronaut Andre Kuipers, and the iconic WWF panda mascot. The foundations of this museum go back to the 17th century, making it a true Dutch landmark.

MACEDONIA (FYROM)

– RECORD EARTH HOUR MOBILIZES THOUSANDS TO ACT FOR CLIMATE

NORWAY

– ‘IT’S HAPPENING’ & YOU CAN USE YOUR POWER TO MAKE CHANGE!

Earth Hour Macedonia (FYROM), organized by Red Cross volunteers, was celebrated by cities and landmarks across the country. The biggest event for the night was a flashmob in the dark, held at the Macedonia Square in Skopje. The event was graced by the Skopje mayor and various celebrities, including Daniel Kajmakoski, Macedonia's Eurovision representative. This year’s event was recordbreaking, with more than 60 locations going dark, making it the biggest-ever Earth Hour in Macedonia.

The conversation about climate change and the need for a renewable energy revolution was carried out by the 14

hashtag, #detskje (it’s happening), in Norway. Half of the country’s municipalities, cities, and tourist destinations and almost two million people (40% of the country’s population) took part in Earth Hour. Mayors in different municipalities competed to organise the best Earth Hour event. Norway’s largest tourist organisation also turned off the lights in all its 400 winter cabins in the Norwegian mountains. In addition, the Parliament, Norwegian Castle, and the Opera House turned off their lights too.

ROMANIA

– SHARING ENERGY WITH THE PLANET In Romania, this year’s Earth Hour events were centered around the idea of sharing our energy with nature. Instead of consuming energy at home, people were invited to generate energy by going for a bike ride, a run, a skate, or just a walk with friends. More than 30 cities participated in the campaign, with acoustic concerts, stargazing events, fire juggling demonstrations, kite flying, and dance performances taking place across the country.

But the festivities did not end with these landmarks going dark! A large-scale digital event involving a Twitter Wall enabled supporters to send in their Earth Hour related tweets in the day, contributing to an Earth Hour artwork formed by tweets.

POLAND

In addition, “Run for the Earth”, an Earth Hour running event, was organised by city councils and local associations. In Bucharest, for example, the main event took place in Herastr u park, where over 7,000 people were in attendance. Earth Hour Ambassador Zoli Toth and fitness coaches held exercise demonstrations, and a drum and fire performance followed.

– SAVING THE BALTIC PORPOISE & THE PLANET WWF-Poland launched an Earth Hour campaign to save the critically endangered population of Baltic harbour porpoises. An awareness campaign and petition collected signatures for the entire month of March, during which WWFPoland representatives travelled through the country with a porpoise statuette to meet with representatives from 16 local governments, residents, and media organisations. Each city the team visited turned off the lights on its landmarks as a symbol of support for the Baltic porpoise on Earth Hour night. The porpoise’s journey ended in the seaside city of Gdynia, where it was symbolically “returned” to the Baltic Sea. As a result of the team’s efforts, 100,000 signatures were collected, and the Ministry of Environment agreed to launch a protection programme for Baltic Porpoises that will run until end-2015.

RUSSIA

– A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE DRILLING Earth Hour Russia focused on a digital campaign in order to reach a wider audience this year. Using Earth Hour as a springboard, a campaign to stop Arctic drilling was launched by WWF-Russia. Opinion leaders, previous Presidents, and politicians threw their weight behind the campaign, and the digital campaign aimed to garner 100,000 Russian signatures to urge President Putin to prevent oil giants from exploring for oil in the Arctic. The Kremlin turned off its lights on Earth Hour night, during which a digital map formed with the #Kremlin hashtag on Twitter was projected onto the building.

PORTUGAL

– USING PEOPLE POWER FOR THE PLANET! Earth Hour Lisbon stayed true to this year’s theme, and transformed human power into electrical energy. The Portuguese event was powered by kinetic energy and lit by black light and glow paint. Electricity was generated through participants dancing, creating works of art, and riding stationary bikes.

SERBIA

– SWITCHING OFF TO LIGHT UP THE PROBLEM

This event was hosted in the hopes that the community would be inspired to work towards a greener and more sustainable planet.

In the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade, an ‘in-the-dark’ exhibition hosted by WWF-Serbia themed “Switch off the lights, light up the problem”, was the highlight of Serbia’s Earth Hour event. Lit up by the kinetic energy provided by visitors pedalling on stationary bicycles, the exhibition panels featured information about climate change. Concurrently, 15

famous Serbian children’s choir, Kolibri, held a performance with special songs dedicated to nature and the planet. This year’s campaign was also backed by the well-known band, Zemlja Gruva, that supported the campaign through their social media channels.

the forest to gain a hands-on experience about what they learnt in school.

SPAIN

– CITIES SPREAD AWARENESS ON CLIMATE

SHETLAND ISLANDS – TOGETHER FOR THE PLANET

Earth Hour Spain was celebrated in around 200 cities across the country, including Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Bilbao. A host of landmarks went dark, including la Puerta de Alcalá, Monasterio del Escorial, el Palacio Real de Madrid, el museo Guggenheim de Bilbao, las Murallas de Ávila, la Sagrada Familia de Barcelona, la Torre del Oro de Sevilla o la Basílica del Pilar de Zaragoza, with La Alhambra, el Monasterio de El Escorial, el Acueducto de Segovia being UNESCO World Heritage sites. An estimated 25,000 people participated in Earth Hour Spain online, and 1,000 citizens attended events across 200 cities.

The Shetland Islands Council – which was awarded the prize for the highest level of community sign-up and support in 2011 – celebrated Earth Hour this year by switching off the floodlights at the town hall. A number of schools and other public buildings also got involved to unite together in support of protecting our planet!

SLOVAKIA

– A MILLION UNITE TO CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE

SWEDEN

Earth Hour in Slovakia saw more than 30 cities and towns and 10 iconic landmarks go dark for the hour. These landmarks included the Spis Castle, one of the largest castles in Europe as well as the Slovak National Museum. Coordinated by the Slovak Astronomical Society, lights-out events, fire shows, concerts, and cultural programmes took place in the main cities of Bánovce and Bebravou. Earth Hour Slovakia was supported by national icon Ivan Bella, a Slovak national astronaut, and solar physicist Vojtech Rušin, among many others. An estimated 1,000,000 Slovaks participated in Earth Hour, with a myriad of events organised across the country by individuals and communities.

– URGING ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ ON CLIMATE CHANGE Earth Hour Sweden organized discussions on climatefriendly food, education, investments, and urban sustainability, engaging 80% of Sweden’s municipalities, and 1,000 schools and organisations participating in Earth Hour. The team in Sweden collaborated with Hyper Island to produce an awareness video about making green investments as a form of climate action as a part of their youth engagement programme.

SLOVENIA

– SCHOOLS JOIN FORCES TO SAVE FORESTS

Food experts and celebrities also shared their favourite climate-friendly menus on blogs and social media. During the lead-up to Earth Hour, climate workshops were conducted to provide a platform for students and members of the public to interact with climate experts.

School engagement was a big part of Earth Hour in Slovenia, as it was spearheaded by school teachers from Mihe Pintar Toledo primary school. As a result of their efforts, many other Slovenian schools joined the campaign, holding cultural activities such as painting exhibitions, eco-workshops, and lectures across schools. The focus of these activities was on the importance of the forest. On Earth Hour night itself, the team garnered the support of municipalities to switch off the lights on landmarks, streets, cultural centres, and historic buildings. Teachers and their students also celebrated the hour with a night walk through

Through increased participation by individuals, schools, business and municipalities, WWF-Sweden demonstrated public demand for stronger political will and actions to change climate change.

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on selfie fans to protect our oceans by sharing their best #fishface on social media. The result of a partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council, this engaged the public and garnered support for sustainable fishing. In addition, creative charity Do the Green Thing worked with WWKUK to bring together world-class designers and artists to create a collection of #EverydayThings to inspire people to live more sustainably.

SWITZERLAND

– DEMANDING CLIMATE ACTION DIGITALLY Earth Hour Switzerland focused on promoting actions digitally through an online petition to demand fair national climate objectives from the Swiss Government at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-21) in Paris in December 2015.

Finally, a special tour that started in Newcastle and ended in London featured WWF’s panda mascots popping up outside landmarks and visiting communities to help spread the word and encourage more people to get involved in Earth Hour.

On Earth Hour night, several cities, towns, and municipalities (including Geneva, Lucerne, Sankt Gallen, and Zurich) organised their own Earth Hour events, with notable landmarks including Jet d'eau in Geneva, Kappelbrücke in Lucerne and Fraumünster in Zurich powering down for the hour.

UK - SCOTLAND

– PEDALLING FOR CHANGE FOR THE PLANET

UKRAINE

– MAPPING EFFORTS TO CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE

Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, joined the Earth Hour lights-off event, with the City Chambers switching off, an Earth Hour projection being screened, and a pedal-powered cinema being showcased at the city centre. Throughout the hour, community and council-led events took place across the country. These activities included night golf, ghost walks, stargazing, candlelit dinners and concerts, bicycle rides, church services and film screenings.

Taking the Earth Hour message, ‘Use #YourPower to Change Climate Change’ to the next level, the campaign in Ukraine empowered citizens to report local environmental problems and receive solutions through an interactive environmental map of the country (www.ecomap.org). ‘On The Night’, people in 50 cities came together for special Earth Hour events including an acoustic concert, an eco fair and a photo exhibition to celebrate their potential to protect the planet. The team is also planning to use the Earth Hour platform to drive a petition for access to information on logging.

Many of Scotland's iconic landmarks also switched off for the hour, including 10 of the country’s most famous castles: Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Urquhart Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, Inverness Castle, Dundonald Castle, Castle Campbell, Linlithgow Palace, Strathaven Castle, and Broughty Ferry Castle. They were joined this year for the first time by The Kelpies, the world's largest equine sculptures at 30 metres high, and other famous landmarks including the Scottish Parliament, Falkirk Wheel, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Paisley Abbey.

UNITED KINGDOM

– A RECIPE FOR A SUSTAINABLE PLANET WWF-UK teamed up with celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc, Valentine Warner, Tom Aikens, Ken Hom, Rachel de Thample and Ching-He Huang to create exclusive Earth Hour recipes using sustainable ingredients that people can easily cook at home. The UK team also partnered with the Sustainable Restaurant Association to bring candlelit suppers to diners across the UK on Earth Hour night, allowing supporters to celebrate the hour at their favourite local eateries. In addition, some SRA restaurants fundraised for Earth Hour by adding £1 to each bill in support of WWF’s vital conservation work.

Earth Hour in Scotland was supported by a wide range of organisations, including the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, all of Scotland's local authorities, and many of its public bodies. All five of Scotland's main political parties promoted their commitment to tackling climate change and encouraged people to participate in Earth Hour with online blogs from the First Minister and other party leaders. Furthermore, politicians at the Scottish Parliament had a debate centered around Earth Hour and Scotland's response to climate change in the week preceding the event.

Some of UK’s biggest brands, Sky, HSBC, Coca-Cola, and Marriott Hotels, also showed their support for the movement. Utilising their vast digital space, the WWF-UK team called 17

UK - WALES

BELIZE

– TOGETHER IN THE DARK FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

– LIGHTING THE PATH FOR CLIMATE ACTION IN THE DARK

Following the passing of the ‘Well-being of Future Generations’ Bill, a goal of the 2014 Earth Hour campaign, only a few days before Earth Hour 2015, the team organized a “Dine in the Dark” theme on the night, with many restaurants throughout the country getting involved, from Plas Bodegroes in Pwllheli to Milgi in Cardiff. Various landmarks also participated and went dark for the hour. The Senedd also switched off in support, while the Millennium Centre went green.

Celebrating Earth Hour in partnership with community and environmental groups, NGOs and government institutions, WWF-Belize organised events across the country, including candlelight vigils and campfires in the Corozal District, Belmopan City, and the capital, Belize City.

BERMUDA

– RUNNING FOR THE CAUSE

VATICAN CITY

– VATICAN GOES DARK TO CAST LIGHT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Earth Hour Bermuda invited families to participate in a 5km “Glow in the Dark Family Fun Run and Walk” with music, speeches and exciting ‘glow packs’ (glow paint, glow sticks, t-shirts) up for grabs! Buildings in Hamilton also switched off their lights. Moving ahead, the team will engage communities to rally around the cause of energy efficiency, raising funds for the Greenrock community programmes.

The majestic churches and buildings of Vatican City once again joined hands with the global community to celebrate Earth Hour and draw attention to the planet’s biggest environmental challenge yet - climate change.

NORTH AMERICA

Earth Hour Bermuda also promoted a post-Earth Hour trash clean-up, co-organised by Hamilton Parish Council, to encourage participants to go beyond the hour.

ARUBA

CAYMAN ISLANDS

– DANCING TO A DIFFERENT TUNE FOR THE PLANET

– ✓ ACOUSTIC SOUNDS STRIKE A CHORD FOR THE PLANET

Powered by solar panels, the Earth Hour event at Fort Zoutman, Oranjestad, Aruba, offered the public a night of dance, music and entertainment with a strong underlying message: focus on renewable energy as a means to change climate change. Actively supported by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Social Affairs, who also led the lights off, the team engaged schools holding lectures and workshops on climate change, renewable energy and even tree planting projects in the run-up to Earth Hour!

Hosted by the National Trust in Cayman Islands, the Earth Hour event united the islands’ residents at the Crescent, Camana Bay for live acoustic performances, sale of Trust merchandise, and simply a night of fun!

COSTA RICA

– BUILDING AWARENESS TO SPARK POSITIVE CHANGE Focusing on climate change through campaigns and school engagement, Earth Hour Costa Rica celebrated the country’s commitment to the 18

cause with a cultural event on the night of Earth Hour. Around 3,000 people attended the event where music and inspiring talks on the environment and the power of individuals to make change happen made it a night to remember. The team also partnered with Interamericana (Communication Company) and Publimark Lowe (advertising and marketing agency) to amplify the outreach and impact.

Call To Action from the Jamaican Environment minister, the acoustic concert brought together international artists like Ras Muhamad, International Reggae band Rootz Underground and up and coming singing sensation Conkarah, corporates and of course, citizens to join forces in the fight against climate change. In the months to come, Earth Hour Jamaica will lead school engagement programmes to spread awareness on climate change, both on a global scale, as well as how it is affecting the island directly.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

– SPARKING A (RE) CYCLE OF CHANGE

MEXICO

– LOCAL HEROES OF A GLOBAL CAUSE

Ever heard of securing a place at a concert with a plastic bottle or discarded newspapers? That is exactly what Earth Hour Dominican Republic asked people to bring to the eco-friendly concert at the Columbus Park and Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Preceded by a recycling art and craft workshop, the concert was kicked off by the Dominican Youth Symphony Orchestra of Guachupita/Capotillo followed by the famous Dominican singer/songwriter Pavel Nuñez, Art in the Street, Children’s Environmental Chorus, Sonido de Capotillo.

Earth Hour is about empowering people to take climate action locally and be a part of a global movement to change climate change. This year, Earth Hour Mexico gave Earth Hour a unique ‘local’ twist by recognising 5 local Earth Hour Champions leading efforts in environmental efforts, such as recycling and saving food, energy and water. Shared on social media and pro-bono public ad spaces, their stories along with the famous Cycling Panda inspired many more to take action and use their power to change climate change too!

In addition, the National Palace, 9 municipalities, the Dominican Air Force Base, 5 hotel resorts and schools across the island also participated in the movement.

‘On The Night’, a small event at WWF-Mexico’s office also brought in a special band – Orquesta Basura – which plays music from instruments made from trash to strike a different chord for the planet.

GRENADA

– PLEDGING FOR A SUSTAINABLE LIFE, A SUSTAINABLE PLANET

NICARAGUA

– YOUTH STAND UP FOR CLIMATE ACTION

Earth Hour Grenada rallied citizens to pledge for a sustainable lifestyle starting by refusing single use plastics in supermarkets. To ensure a larger impact, the team also invited local businesses to join the pledge! The main Earth Hour event at Prickly Bay also featured a Climate Change Adaptation Booth focusing on Ecosystems and EcosystemBased Adaptation.

Organized in collaboration with the "Centro Cultural Nicaraguense Norteamericano", Movistar, Tecnosol and Mision Bosawas, Earth Hour Nicaragua brought together the country’s youth to urge awareness and action on climate. National celebrities such as songwriter Maria Cardenal, singer Danilo Norori, singer and environmental activist Matute from La Cuneta Son Machine, Camilo Beli; and TV reporter Evelyng Lambert were also present at the event.

JAMAICA

– A MUSICAL HARMONY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT Music has always been a huge part of Earth Hour Jamaica, and this year was no different. Starting with a 19

SOUTH AMERICA

SAINT LUCIA

– CAPTURE YOUR EARTH HOUR MOMENT, FREE YOUR POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE

ARGENTINA

– WE CAN ALL BE HEROES FOR THE PLANET

Led by the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), Earth Hour in Saint Lucia organized a photo and video competition to encourage the public to share what Earth Hour means to them, and how they spent it, taking into account the theme of taking action on climate change.

With the tagline "An hour to gain consciousness, A lifetime to make a difference", Earth Hour Argentina encouraged individuals to tap into their 'inner hero' and take small actions to do their part for the environment. Seizing opportunities like the Lollapalooza Music Festival and soccer matches, the teams ensured a maximum number of people across the country were inspired to act for the planet with Earth Hour. Jointly organised by WWF-Argentina and the Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, schools, businesses and cities were invited to create their own Earth Hour events and help expand the impact.

Winning photos and videos were determined by a panel of judges, as well as a people’s choice category given to the individual who generated the most likes for their video or photo. A prize giving ceremony was held on 22nd April, in junction with Earth Day.

U.S.A

– EARTH HOUR PUTS THE POWER TO CHANGE IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE

Supported by the government of Argentina, 18 municipalities participated in Earth Hour with major landmarks such as the famous Obelisk and National Flag Monument turning their lights off to mark the hour. The initiative also had corporate support from HSBC, Coca Cola, Carrefour, and Allianz, amongst others.

Aside from the world’s most iconic landmarks going dark, including Times Square and Broadway theaters in New York, The John Hancock Building in Chicago, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., hotels and casinos along the Las Vegas Strip, the Golden Gate Bridge and Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, and LA Staple Center and Los Angeles airport, WWF-US also celebrated Earth Hour with the DC Environmental Film Festival and the East Coast premiere of the film Planetary followed by a panel discussion and reception.

BOLIVIA

– CASTING A VOTE FOR THE PLANET This year, Earth Hour fell on the same day as the national elections in Bolivia. WWF-Bolivia tapped into the election fervour and optimism to encourage citizens to also cast a ballot for the planet. From working with municipalities to raise awareness on water-saving methods to school engagement programmes and corporate outreach to urge energy-efficient business operation models, Earth Hour engaged individuals and actors across the board to make a difference.

Evanston, Illinois, was also named the 2015 US Earth Hour Capital selected by an international jury among 44 participating US cities.

VIRGIN ISLANDS

– MARSHMALLOWS, TIKI TORCHES & STARGAZING- MAKING EARTH HOUR A NIGHT TO REMEMBER!

An annual event celebrated across 25 municipalities in Bolivia, the team also organized a public cycling event on 25 March offering t-shirts to the first 200 participants. Moving ahead in 2015, the team is developing a ‘Sustainable Neighbourhood’ model for communities to incorporate across the country.

Guests at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas enjoyed a unique Earth Hour spin to their stay as the hotel went all out to support the global movement. From a candlelit BBQ and beach bonfire to stargazing with the resorts’ Ambassadors for the Environment and trained naturalists, the hotel invited guests to connect with each other and nature in solidarity with the cause.

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BRAZIL

COLOMBIA

– INSPIRING ACTION TO SAVE FORESTS & OUR PLANET WITH EARTH HOUR

– TEST YOUR RESILIENCE TO BUILD THE PLANET’S RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

While energy and zest have long been a part of Earth Hour in Brazil, this year saw the team tap into the energy the movement generates to mobilize people to sign a petition and take action for Brazil’s forests and against climate change, collecting over 8,000 signatures.

Earth Hour Colombia was centered around the #UsaTuEnergía (Use Your Energy) theme, which was communicated through a digital marathon that encouraged 100,000 participants to take digital actions to spread the Earth Hour message. ‘On The Night’, “110KM”, a physical marathon, brought together 1,100 participants who tested their physical resilience as they experienced the effects of climate change while doing so.

Working with the federal government to provide tax exemptions for corporate donors, WWF-Brazil secured a number of partnerships and organized a massive public concert on the night of Earth Hour with popular band “Playing For Change” and other national and international artists performing their top numbers for the planet.

In addition, WWF-Colombia also raised funds for a crowdfunding project titled “Let Sea Turtles Off the Hook” through Earth Hour to raise USD 20,000 to offer 100 fishing families access to turtle-friendly fishing equipment and training, in order to save sea turtles from being hooked, and to improve the livelihoods of local fishermen. Local restaurants and seafood markets were engaged to support the project by raising awareness and funds amongst customers.

CHILE

– USE YOUR ENERGY FOR THE PLANET Earth Hour Chile called on participants to "Shake it for the planet, use your power”. A digital campaign using the call-to-action #yomemuevo (meaning ‘I move’) urged people to make a small move as part of a larger movement, simply by changing their profile pictures, sharing quotes and tweets, and other digital actions. The same call-to-action was also addressed to corporates who were invited to do their part by eliminating the use of plastic for example.

ECUADOR

– A MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY FOR THE PLANET Building upon the successful Earth Hour crowdsourcing campaign to ban the use of plastic in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Galapagos Islands last year, Earth Hour 2015 saw the launch of a massive campaign in mainland Ecuador to spread the climate change message to the entire community. On the night, the entire city of Quito, also classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, plunged into darkness to show its solidarity with the cause.

‘On The Night’, building on the theme of ‘move for the planet’, participants were invited to generate electricity through a Zumba marathon on a kinetic energy dance-pad developed by the Department of Energy of the UTEM University. Energy saved from the Zumba marathon was then used for an unplugged performance during the night. Celebrated across 15 cities, Earth Hour Chile saw the lights turned off at the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Valparaíso, Chiloé church and National Park Rapa Nui. It was supported by influencers like Amaya Forch, Andrea Obaid, Karol Lucero, Claudio Iturra, María José Bello, Juan Antonio Labra, Paulo Brunetti, Eduardo Fuentes and Catalina Cáceres (Miss Earth Chile). Beyond the hour, the team will continue to promote renewable energy and marine conservation.

FRENCH GUIANA

– SKYROCKETING CLIMATE CHANGE TO THE TOP OF THE AGENDA Earth Hour reached for the skies in French Guiana this year! ‘On The Night’, a replica rocket prominently displaying the 60+ logo was set up outside the National Space Museum as citizens across the territory were made aware of the importance of sustainable development and renewable 21

energy through the opening of a carbon trail (Trésor Reserve), Zumba sessions (Cayenne/Kourou/Matoury) and various exhibitions on the issues.

VENEZUELA

– JOINING FORCES ONLINE TO CELEBRATE THE PLANET!

PARAGUAY

– TOGETHER FOR A SUSTAINABLE PARAGUAY

Venezuelans were invited to show their support for Earth Hour on their computer screens instead of on the streets in 2015. In association with Mood Social Media Agency, Earth Hour urged supporters on social media to participate in an online event spread across five cities: Caracas, Maracaibo, Valencia, Margarita, and Puerto La Cruz.

#UsaTuPoderPY (Use Your Power Paraguay) for a sustainable Paraguay was the main message for Earth Hour in Paraguay. With 26 companies and institutions signed up as “Friends of the Planet” with WWF-Paraguay - a campaign that invited communities to create their own Earth Hour actions - these “Friends” fulfilled their own challenges as part of the campaign, helping to organise small events around the country. Paraguay's major telecommunications company was one of the "Friends", helping to spread awareness through their networks. ‘On The Night’, a recycling event was also organized at the Villamora Shopping Mall with an orchestra playing music using instruments made from trash and recycled materials.

PERU

– LOVE THE PLANET? MARRY IT TODAY! Earth Hour Peru sent out a simple yet strong message to its supporters this year: if you love the planet, perhaps it is time for a deeper commitment, like marriage? A highly successful social media campaign titled ‘Marry The Planet’ invited individuals, universities and companies to demonstrate their commitment through their customised Earth Hour actions, campaigns and selfie videos!

SURINAME

– AS LIGHTS TURN OFF, COMMUNITIES UNITE FOR THE PLANET As lights turned off across Suriname, Earth Hour teams visited all the UNESCO landmarks and companies, handing out brochures containing tips for reducing the use of power. Games were conducted to teach attendees the importance of using their power and seizing the moment to ensure a better, greener and healthier future for the next generation.

All photos belong to Earth Hour. For enquiries or further information, please send us an email on [email protected] 22