The British public and businesses are being urged to mark Earth Hour by taking positive action for the planet, such as turning off their lights or helping local wildlife.
Landmarks around the world will go dark for one hour on Saturday as part of the environmental grassroots movement, spearheaded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), every year.
Previous years have seen Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the Colosseum, Golden Gate Bridge, the Burj Khalifa, Times Square and Table Top Mountain turn out the lights.
The Palace of Westminster in central London goes dark for Earth Hour in 2021 (Yui Mok/PA)
The wildlife charity is calling on individuals, communities and businesses across the UK to take part in Earth Hour, which will take place from 8:30pm to 9:30pm GMT this year.
Millions of people can use the 60 minutes to do something positive for the planet, like turning off their lights for one hour, signing a petition, sharing energy saving tips or supporting wildlife, WWF said.
Ahead of this year’s Earth Hour, WWF UK surveyed more than 2,100 UK adults on their opinions about the current state of climate action.
The poll, conducted by YouGov, suggested that 70% of people think it is still possible to avoid the worst effects of climate change and 76% think businesses and governments can have a large impact on tackling the crisis.
More than half of respondents (58%) highlighted the need for drastic action while just 12% think the current action is sufficient, it also found.
Kate Norgrove, executive director of advocacy and campaigns at WWF, said: “Our research shows that climate change is a concern for people across the UK – but there is hope.
A view of Tower Bridge in London as the UK marks Earth Hour (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
“People are already taking action in their daily lives to tackle the climate and nature crisis, and when we work together, we can make a real difference.”
“This is a big year for the UK and the planet. With an election imminent, there is clear public support for politicians and businesses to tackle climate change and restore nature.”
It comes after WWF published its 2024 manifesto earlier this month, calling on MPs to take urgent political action on biodiversity loss and the environment.
Ahead of Earth Hour, the charity also launched a nationwide petition urging political leaders to stop fuelling the destruction of nature, which has so far attracted more than 21,000 signatures.
Ms Norgrove said: “Net zero is the economic opportunity of our generation – we urge all party leaders to step up their ambition and unlock a future of lower bills, future-proofed jobs and growth, and a 21st century economy powered by cheap, clean British energy.
“Quick and decisive action can help save our world – there is no time to lose.”
WWF said that last year saw the biggest Earth Hour since its launch in 2007, with more than 410,000 hours given to the planet by supporters in 190 countries and territories.
Its “Stop the destruction of nature” petition can be found at: https://www.wwf.org.uk/act/stop-destruction-nature.
