The campaign promoted by the international organisation WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature takes place on March 23rd across the world, between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm local time, and has brought citizens, companies , municipalities and organizations around the world together to turn off lights and non-essential electronic devices, aiming for a more sustainable planet.
The initiative began in 2007, in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million people and more than 2,000 companies turned off their lights for an hour, as a symbolic moment of reflection and awareness of the need to protect the planet and reduce the impact of its activity in the environment.
“Switch off and dedicate an hour to the planet. On March 23rd, dedicate 60 minutes to doing something positive for our planet. It’s that simple”, writes WWF Portugal on its website.
The non-governmental organization gives examples of positive actions: “Whether it’s collecting rubbish in a park, preparing dinner with sustainable ingredients, planting a tree or gathering your friends for an Earth Hour event, anyone, anywhere can participate in the biggest Hour for the Planet”.
Some local authorities also tend to participate by traditionally turning off street lights, monuments and public buildings, or by organizing environmental activities, such as eco-friendly workshops, sustainable community dinners or bicycle tours.
In addition to municipalities and individuals, companies and organizations also contribute to Earth Hour in different ways.
Fórum Algarve announced that it will join Earth Hour, partially turning off the lighting in the shopping centre, between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on Saturday, “always safeguarding the safety and comfort of its visitors and the space”.
Lusa news agency will also join the campaign, turning off the lights in the headquarters, car park and logo “at the appointed time”, and has invited workers to join the initiative by turning off the lights in their homes for an hour.