Earth Hour 2023. Switch off. Give an hour for Earth

Once again this year, the planet will be plunged into symbolic darkness as a reminder of the importance of the fight against climate change in a global event that has already become the largest voluntary action ever organised.

The conservation organisation WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is calling on individuals, businesses, governments, councils and other organisations to join this initiative, which will take place on Saturday 25 March, between 8.30 and 9.30 pm.

Switch off. Give an hour for Earth

As in previous years, Earth Hour takes place so that, for an hour at least, companies and individual households, establishments, and whoever else would like to join this initiative, commit to turning off the lights at the same time.

But for the second year running, as well as turning of lights, the initiative invites people to “run”, either on foot, by bicycle, swimming or skating, and join the effort to tackle the climate emergency. With the slogan #KmForThePlanet, we have two goals within a single event: PROMOTE SPORT and its values as a fundamental tool with which to SAVE THE PLANET.

As the organization WWF says: “The clock is ticking. We don’t have a minute to lose. We need to act quickly and decisively to turn things around by connecting with the planet.”

In this edition of #KmForThePlanet we aim to beat the 280,000 kilometers set last year – a distance equivalent to running seven times around Earth. Get the registration form here and choose the distance you want to “run” and how you want to do it: walking, running, cycling, swimming or skating.

Origin of Earth Hour

The first edition of Earth Hour took place in Sydney in 2007, though the idea was born three years earlier when the nature conservation group WWF wanted to involve the Australians into the climate change problem. For this purpose, they asked advertising agency Leo Burnett to devise a campaign. And they sure did.

On March 31th, 2007, with the support of local government, the most populous city in Australia went dark for an hour.

There was such a visual impact that in subsequent editions around twenty buildings and monuments throughout the world joined the enterprise: the Empire State, the Golden Gate, the roman Coliseum, London’s City Hall, Petronas Towers… The seed was sown.

Ever since, most public buildings interrupt their lighting for sixty minutes, and there are also many private companies who assist the event by turning off their neon signs.

ACCIONA with Earth Hour 2016

For the third consecutive year, ACCIONA will also participate in this campaign to raise awareness on the urgency to act against global warming. And will do so by turning off the lights of its main buildings in 14 countries. In addition, the company encourages all employees to participate in the blackout and disseminate among their relatives and friends the importance of this event.

Sources: Earth Hour and WWF.