Earth Hour is a global initiative launched by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007. It has since developed into a platform for people worldwide to participate in environmental protection efforts.
On March 25, the main forum of China’s Earth Hour events was held in Kunshan, co-organized by WWF Beijing Office, the Center for Environmental Education and Communications of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (CEEC), and Kunshan Municipal People’s Government.
During the forum, Lu Lunyan, chief representative of WWF Beijing Office, said that the double crises of climate change and biodiversity loss caused by human activities continues to intensify. “However, the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework have shown us the spirit of global cooperation. With this Earth Hour event, we believe it can stimulate people with hope for a sustainable planet.”
At 8:00 pm, the “lights-off” ceremony was held at the Kunshan Contemporary Kun Opera Theater. The ceremony began with an online dialogue with astronaut Fei Junlong, who led attendees in looking at the Earth from a space station and urged everyone to care for our planet. The ceremony also saw the launches of a year-round volunteer project titled “Give an Hour for the Earth” through digital innovation technology. After that, the lights-off session began with representatives taking the stage to activate the lights-off device and turn off unnecessary lights on landmarks for one hour.
Besides the forum, Kunshan also hosted a number of charity events. In Kunshan Forest Park, Green Zhejiang and several other NGOs and student clubs collaborated to help people better observe nature; at the “Light and Shadow Art Exhibition” in Mixc One, people reviewed the history of Earth Hour through nature photography and solar energy installations. The activities are set to continue until April and are designed to encourage more people to enjoy “a colorful life through vibrant nature”.
In Beijing, a multi-dimensional forum was held at the Phoenix Center. Co-hosted by WWF Beijing Office, Beijing NGO Network for International Exchanges, and Beijing Minhe Foundation for International Exchanges, the forum focused on various topics, such as reducing food waste, Chinese companies’ experience of green development, and the top-level design of national parks.
Zhou Fei, deputy director-general of WWF Beijing Office, said that being “Nature Positive” is the common solution to confront the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and WWF will continue to play a leading and influential role in this regard.”
In addition to Beijing and Kunshan, many other cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Wuhan, Changchun, Xi’an, and Baoding, also held a series of activities to celebrate Earth Hour. These events were related to local environmental issues, including corporate social responsibility, the protection of freshwater resources, and wetland and flagship species conservation.
(Article photo: WWF)
