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KREMLIN AND RED SQUARE SWITCH OFF FOR THE FIRST TIME FOR EARTH HOUR

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MARCH 22 2013, MOSCOW/SINGAPORE: For the very first time, Russia’s Kremlin, the residence of the President, and Red Square will switch off for Earth Hour tomorrow at 8:30PM to celebrate Earth Hour’s largest conservation outcome so far.

The Kremlin and Red Square, the most important site of Russia’s historical and political events, join a long list of the world’s icons participating in the largest environmental event which itself has become the iconic symbol of people’s commitment to protect the planet.

In addition to the Kremlin and Red Square, around 100 landmarks across 70 cities and towns join the switch off in Russia.

“WWF’s Earth Hour in Russia has become a shining example of the incredible environmental outcomes that can be achieved when people work together and take action beyond the hour,” said Andy Ridley, CEO and Co-Founder of Earth Hour.

Not only is Russia joining in the symbolic show of support for Earth Hour through lights off at the Kremlin and Red Square, its citziens have shown how they can positively impact the world we live in when WWF-Russia last year secured more than 120,000 signatures for a petition to pass a long-awaited law to protect the country’s seas from oil pollution.

The petition, which was part of Earth Hour’s ‘I Will If You Will’ campaign, was then presented to the government and became instrumental in the passing of that law in the Russian parliament last December.

Fuelled by that achievement, WWF’s Earth Hour in Russia then looked at forest protection and has now secured more than 100,000 signatures from Russian citizens to petition for amendments to the current forest legislation for Earth Hour 2013.

This could be the catalyst for the return of a ban on industrial logging in an area of land twice the size of France, with protective forests equalling almost 18% of all forest territory in the country.

Also on the eve of the seventh Earth Hour, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on the world to mobilise beyond the hour as extreme weather increasingly harms families, communities and economies.

“We participate with an undimmed determination to take action on climate change. Everyone has a role to play. Governments need to provide the political will, businesses can contribute solutions, and civil society, especially young people, can mobilise global action.  Together, let’s do our part and shed light on common sense answers for a cleaner, greener world,” said the Secretary-General.

 

Earth Hour 2013 will celebrate environmental outcomes generated by its participants beyond the hour.

In Uganda, the first Earth Hour Forest was created as an important first step in the fight against the 6,000 hectares of deforestation that occurs in the country every month.

In Botswana, former President Mr Festus Mogae has made a four-year commitment to plant one million indigenous trees as part of his ‘I Will If You Will’ challenge and kicked it off by planting 100,000 trees in a severely degraded area in Southern Botswana called Goodhope. 

In Argentina, Earth Hour organisers and WWF affiliate Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina is mobilizing thousands of participants to help champion the passing of a Senate bill to make Banco Burwood the biggest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the country. If successful, the 3.4 million-hectare MPA will raise the level of protection of Argentina’s Exclusive Economic Zone from 1% to 4%.

Joining the Kremlin and Red Square for Earth Hour 2013 are: Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Tokyo Tower, Taipei 101, The Petronas Towers, Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest), Marina Bay Sands Singapore, Gateway of India, The Burj Khalifa, The Church of the Nativity (Birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem), Table Mountain, Dubrovnik City Walls, Eiffel Tower, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, The Acropolis, Tower of Pisa, The Spanish Steps, Brandenburg Gate, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, The UK Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Christ the Redeemer Statue, CN Tower, Las Vegas Strip, Times Square, The Empire State Building, Niagara Falls and more.

More than 150 countries and territories will be participating this year with Palestine, Tunisia, Galapagos, Suriname, French Guyana, St. Helena and Rwanda among those joining the global movement for the first time in 2013.

For live updates on Earth Hour 2013 starting Thursday March 21, go to http://earthhour.org/live

As an open sourced campaign, Earth Hour uses social media to connect a global community of people inspired to change the world we live in.

Earth Hour 2013 will take place at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 23 March

-ends-

For live updates on Earth Hour 2013 starting Thursday March 21, go to http://earthhour.org/live

A timeline of stories for Earth Hour 2013: http://ehour.me/ehtimeline2013

See the Earth Hour 2013 Official Video at www.ehour.me/2013ViD

Press images can be downloaded at http://earthhour.org/media-centre/images

Downloadable video footage of the global event will be available in four B-rolls for media, covering major regions at http://www.earthhour.org/media-centre/videos

Media enquiries:

Benjamin Vozzo, Earth Hour Global E:benjamin@earthhour.org Ph: +65 8223 1728

Mai Tatoy, Earth Hour Global E: mai@earthhour.org Ph: +65 9017 7411

To join the global community head to:

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative by WWF. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to join the global community for the world’s largest the world’s largest voluntary action for the environment that has become the iconic symbol of people’s commitment to protect the planet. This year sees a celebration of environmental outcomes generated by its participants around the world. In 2013, Earth Hour’s ‘I Will If You Will’ concept invites individuals and organisations to challenge others to an ongoing environmental commitment beyond the hour. Earth Hour began in one city in 2007 and by 2012 involved hundreds of millions of people in 152 countries across every continent, receiving reports as ‘the world’s largest campaign for the planet’.

About WWF

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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