In support of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - Philippines’ upcoming Earth Hour celebration on 30 March 2019, I invite all city governments to:
1. organize their own local Earth Hour switch-off events on 30 March 2019 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. by turning off non-essential lights (signages and select streetlights), as well as lighting in key monuments and nearby public spaces during the said period;
2. mobilize members from the local private sector to take part in the event by switching off their signage lights and non-essential lights in their facilities;
3. observe sustainable practices in the conduct of the event such as proper waste management, discouraging the use of plastics, and ensuring energy efficiency;
4. document the event by taking photos and uploading these on social media, particularly at http://bit.ly/EarthHourPH2019, with the hashtags #EarthHourPH2019 and #Connect2Earth; and
5. pledge to go “Beyond the Hour” and publicly promote practices that offices and individuals can make to support the environment.
In line with the event’s message of environmental sustainability, I also encourage all cities to share their existing policies and initiatives related to single-use plastic reduction, recycling, and waste management to WWF-Philippines as part of its “No Plastic in Nature Initiative.”
For further information about the upcoming event, you may visit the official Earth Hour 2019 website at https://wwf.org.ph/what-we-do/climate/earth-hour/ or contact their Social Mobilization team at earthhour@wwf.org.ph.