Earth Hour 2023 to inspire Canadians to give an hour for Earth

Earth Hour is Saturday, March 25, at 8:30 p.m. local time

CANADA, March 24, 2023 – On Saturday, March 25 at 8:30 p.m. local time, Earth Hour, one of the largest global movements for the planet, will once again bring together millions of people around the world to show their commitment to action on biodiversity loss and climate change.

This year is a critical one for the planet. On the heels of world leaders coming together in December 2022 to adopt the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework during the UN biodiversity summit COP15, Earth Hour 2023 is taking place at a crucial time, marking an inspiring moment of solidarity to raise awareness and inspire action for nature.

This year, WWF-Canada is asking the public to participate in the Biggest Hour for Earth by giving an hour to the Earth.

Here’s how to participate:

• Turn off all non-essential lights at 8:30 p.m. local time.
• Learn more about WWF-Canada’s plans to Regenerate Canada and how to help.
• Follow @WWF-Canada on social media and engage with and share Earth Hour posts to help spread awareness.
• As the CN Tower and other landmarks around the world go dark for Earth Hour, step up for nature and register for WWF’s CN Tower Climb 2023.
• Visit the Earth Hour 2023 web page to discover other opportunities that go beyond the hour and let WWF-Canada know how you’re giving an hour for Earth.

Megan Leslie, president and CEO of WWF-Canada says:

“Each year, we see increasing evidence of the impact climate change and biodiversity loss is having on our planet. We know that the news can be disheartening. Earth Hour is an opportunity to connect with friends and family and this year, we want to focus on actions for nature that can inspire change, during the 60 minutes and beyond. We can still reverse nature loss by 2030, but every hour is important.”

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is WWF’s flagship global environmental movement. Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 190 countries and territories to action. Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, the event has focused on the pressing issue of nature loss. The goal is to create an unstoppable movement for nature, as it did when the world came together to tackle climate change. The movement recognizes the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of millions of supporters to drive change.

The science is clear. We know the next seven years are crucial in determining whether we can halt irreversible environmental degradation and runaway climate change. We know there is an urgent need to hold the increase in global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees – and the planet is already 1.1 degrees warmer than pre-industrial levels. We are on track to hit 1.5 degrees by 2030. At the same time, one million species are now threatened with extinction and global wildlife populations have declined by a staggering 69 per cent since 1970. Urgent action for climate, nature and biodiversity are more necessary than ever.

Visit www.earthhour.org to find out about Earth Hour events around the world. Together, let’s create the Biggest Hour for Earth.

About World Wildlife Fund Canada

WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca.

For more information, contact [email protected]