Proving that no individual action on climate change is too small and that no collective vision is too big, WWF’s Earth Hour kicked-off at 8:30PM last night with celebrations in over 7000 hubs across 170 countries.
The Quezon City Memorial Circle hosted the Philippines’ main event. Clad in glow-in-the-dark costumes, thousands danced and celebrated climate change solutions in one of the country’s largest Zumba® gatherings.
The ninth edition of Earth Hour crossed 24 time zones to unify the world around a single challenge – climate change. Even before the hour, Earth Hour organizers were working with citizens, policymakers and businesses to drive progress on issues like access to renewable energy, strengthening climate education and restoring critical forests.
Organizers from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are elated at the massive outpouring of support. “We wish to thank everyone who supported Earth Hour,” says Earth Hour Philippines National Director Atty. Gia Ibay. “Now the real work begins, as we work to reduce our individual carbon footprint – our impacts on the Earth.”
Earth Hour Philippines now highlights its Gift of Light project, which funds the deployment of hundreds of portable solar lamps for off-grid communities in Beton, Northern Palawan. In 2014, Earth Hour catalyzed over 60 environmental outcomes, including a ban on plastics for the Galapagos Islands, planting 17 million trees in Kazakhstan and the deployment of fibreglass bancas to communities sundered by Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines.
Organizers wish to thank public sector partners like the Office of the President, Senate of the Philippines, Local Government of Quezon City, Climate Change Commission, the Departments of Agrarian Reform, Agriculture, Budget and Management, Education, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, Science and Technology, Social Welfare and Development, Transportation and Communications, Trade and Industry, Public Works and Highways, Labor and Employment, Interior and Local Government, the League of Provinces, Municipalities and Cities, Commission on Higher Learning and Education, Laguna Lake Development Authority, Metro Manila Development Authority, plus the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Corporate champions were led by Philips, ArthaLand, Alveo Land, Banco De Oro, First Gen Corporation, Smart Communications and McDonald’s.
Media champions included ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN Regional, ABS-CBN Sports and Action, ANC, Balls TV, BusinessMirror, BusinessWorld, ClickTheCity.Com, Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, FleishmanHillard, FocusMedia, Far Eastern Broadcasting Corporation, Globaltronics, Hero TV, Jack TV, Jeepney TV, JVC Advertising, Knowledge Channel, Leo Burnett, Lifestyle Network, My Only Radio, Myx, Net-25, Nyxsys, Orangemagazine.ph, Pelicola.TV, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, QCreativs, Radyo Pilipinas, Radyo Agila, Radyo Veritas, Sign Media, TV5 and Wheninmanila.Com.
The next Earth Hour is slated for 26 March 2016.
-WWF Media Release
