8:30 p.m. on Saturday, 30 March – the moment had come for Earth Hour, the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment.
Individuals, businesses and cities in 188 countries and territories worldwide joined Earth Hour to speak up for nature and inspire urgent action for the environment − and thousands of landmarks switched off their lights in solidarity for the planet. The results were outstanding: #EarthHour, #Connect2Earth and related hashtags trended in over 25 countries and generated over two billion impressions, and people pledged their support for the planet and challenged world leaders to push the issue up the global agenda.
“Mass participation in Earth Hour has shown that people globally demand urgent action for nature,” said WWF International’s Director General Marco Lambertini. “Millions of people have spoken, many urging world leaders to secure an international commitment to stop and reverse the loss of nature. We need a New Deal for Nature and People as comprehensive and ambitious as the Paris Agreement on climate change, universally endorsed from political and business leaders to communities and individuals.”
WWF and many others will be working hard for a New Deal in the coming year.
