For 60 minutes landmarks from Australia to the United States went dark to accentuate the Earth Hour’s message of urgency to address the climate change issues.
Sydney’s Opera House, the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, landmarks of London including Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, the London Eye and the UN headquarters building in New York saw all their lights switched off to mark the call of the hour.
The global event is observed to emphasize the need for climate action and sustainable energy consumption.
In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged people around the world to join him in “turning out the lights and turning up the pressure” for a healthy planet.
“Climate change is moving much faster than we are. Its alarming impacts are upon us; resources and ecosystems across the world are under assault. Earth Hour is an opportunity to show our resolve to change,” he said.
“Protecting the environment is preserving life itself,” the UN chief stressed.
Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour encourages individuals, companies, organizations and Governments throughout the world to switch off their lights for one hour at 8:30 p.m. local time.
This year, Earth Hour stressed the link between climate change and biodiversity loss, as thousands of plant and animal species are threatened with extinction as a result of increasing temperatures.
The Earth Hour was first launched in 2007 in Australia, and since then has been an annual feature to highlight the cause of climate protection.
