Earth Hour 2022 – NCF, WWF, Others call on the global community to ‘Shape Our Future’ in a critical year for people and the planet.
- This year’s Earth Hour offers the opportunity for the global community to make their voices heard in this pivotal year and demand a nature-positive future.
- 2022 is the year world leaders take action at the UN CBD COP15 and commit to key political decisions on nature which will affect the health of our planet and our own future for decades to come.
- Earth Hour 2022 takes place on Saturday 26th March at 8:30PM local time.
Earth Hour, the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment, is set to unite millions of people once again around the world to show their commitment to the planet. As we continue adapting our lives to the impacts of COVID-19 and the catastrophic events of the past two years, Earth Hour 2022 aims to signal the end of “business as usual” and herald a new era that puts people and the planet first.
Taking place at a particularly crucial time, this year’s Earth Hour invites people around the world to take a stand and signal their support for a nature-positive future. With 73% of people in G20 countries agreeing that the Earth is approaching potentially abrupt or irreversible ‘tipping points’ because of human action awareness of nature loss and climate change is at a high. But while both public and political leaders share concern, the most difficult transformation is still yet to happen.
On the set day, individuals and groups are expected to switch off all electrical appliances including bulbs to conserve energy for one hour, while using torchlight momentarily. They are expected to record the activity and post on the social media while using relevant hashtags such as #SaveEarth #EarthHour etc. they could also have discussions between and among themselves on the importance of conserving the earth.
There is hope however; later this year world leaders will gather for the second part of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 and decide on a new global action plan for nature, making 2022 a once-in-a-decade opportunity to create a biodiversity framework which halts and reverses nature loss for generations to come.
“It might only be one hour, but such a collective effort will no doubt cause ripple effects in our efforts towards a nature-positive future. Without action, the world will see $10 trillion wiped off the global economy over the next 30 years, with developing countries and regions particularly affected. It’s time to act now. Nature is our green gold, and it is everyone’s business,” explains Alice Ruhweza – WWF Africa Region Director.
“The state of things now, the rate of devastation of environment is alarming. I am however excited at the number of messages we keep pushing out, the level of awareness among the people. Earth Hour is one of such opportunities created to draw attention to the state of ecosystem, unhealthy environment, and the need to take drastic steps in salvaging the situation. This is everybody’s concern.” Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano, DG of NCF
Since its inception in 2007, Earth Hour has inspired global initiatives for the protection of nature, climate, and the environment, helping drive awareness, action and policy change. Highlights of the movement include helping in the creation of a 3.4 million hectares protected marine area in Argentina, a 2,700-hectare Earth Hour forest in Uganda, securing new legislation for the protection of seas and forests in Russia, pushing for a ban on single-use plastics and Styrofoam products in the Ecuadorian capital, and initiating the planting of 20,000 mangrove seedlings in 13 cities in Indonesia.
Everyone is encouraged to switch of lights to stand united for each other and the one home we all share. Saving the earth together is everybody’s business.
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 take tangible environmental action. Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, Earth Hour has strived to also bring the pressing issue of nature loss to the fore. The aim 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 its millions of supporters to drive change.
Earth Hour is kindly supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety with funding from the International Climate Initiative (IKI), as a part of the project “Scaling up Biodiversity Communication”.
About WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
About NCF
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) is the premier Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to nature conservation and sustainable development in Nigeria. Established in 1980, the Foundation was registered in 1982 as a Charitable Trust. Founded by late Chief S. L. Edu, NCF with a vision of “a Nigeria where people prosper while living in harmony with nature” has its patron as the President and Commander-in-Chief of Armed Force of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
