Earth Hour – Coming together for a better future for nature, climate and people

WWF-Cymru is inviting people to join this year’s symbolic ‘switch off’ at home on Saturday 27 March, as an opportunity to connect with our planet.

Earth Hour has become an inspiring show of solidarity and a movement for change, with major landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower, and Wales Millennium Centre switching off for the hour.

Given our current situation with lockdown, the focus this year has shifted to participation at home.

This year you can show your support by taking part individually, with households, or as communities.

Nine out of ten people who take part in Earth Hour feel inspired to act for our planet. The impact of individual actions might seem small but, collectively, they can inspire change. During these tough times, we need more than ever to find ways to connect with each other and inspire hope for the future.

How is Wales celebrating Earth Hour?

At WWF-Cymru, we believe it is vital to invest in our communities and that is why we have collaborated with groups around the country to support the campaign.

In the run-up to Earth Hour, a joint poetry and street art project involving local schoolchildren, WWF Cymru, and Literature Wales turned three walls on buildings in three towns across Wales into works of art.

Treorchy, Cardigan and Rhyl now have beautiful murals representing the future they want to see. The murals created by street artist Bryce Davies of Peaceful Progress highlight the importance of tackling the climate and nature crisis for future generations in Wales.

Community arts organisation Head4Arts is releasing a new children’s book, ‘Library of Life’, written by Tamar Eluned Williams and beautifully illustrated by Andy O’Rourke.

The story is a voyage of discovery about climate and nature and the future of our planet. Alongside the book itself, a special animated video has been created featuring narration by leading Welsh Naturalist and TV Presenter, Iolo Williams. The book is also available in Welsh as ‘Llyfrgell Bywyd’

Artis Community is leading an hour of meditation and yoga with a contemporary dance twist. The session was created to bring the family together. Tutor Mike is taking to Facebook live to lead a relaxing session using your mind, body and soul to connect with yourself and the planet.

Why take part?

Earth Hour is a global event that encourages us to take a step back and show support for our world and our connection to it.

We have treated our Earth as a commodity and for too long stripped it of resources. This relationship needs to change.

Earth Hour reminds us that there is hope and there are millions of others around the world who are actively choosing to be a part of the solution.

With all the challenges that the past year has brought, we need more than ever to come together, to listen and support each other.

Earth Hour encourages people around the world to switch off their lights to call attention to the climate and nature crisis.  It aims to spark global conversations which persuades individuals, governments, and business to improve our relationship with the natural world, so that it can continue to support future generations.

This is a pivotal year

2021 will be pivotal in seeing how we have recovered from the pandemic and what is being done to create a sustainable future.

Young people in Wales can have an impact through participating in the elections and engaging with our manifesto.

With the UK hosting the vital COP26 climate summit, Wales must show true global leadership by setting ambitious commitments to action – but that is only possible if we as young people take part in the movement.

The past year has brought up job anxieties and the need for better mental health support. Many of us have learned that moving away from Wales is no longer necessary for career progression. Remote working has become a norm, but the way in which we protect our environment has never been so important.

The push for greener jobs is one that will help our economy, contribute to our goal of being a sustainable nation, and will protect our wildlife. Investing in nature and green spaces makes Wales a nation we are proud of.

This year is a critical one for Wales. The Senedd 21 Elections will determine the next Welsh Government and they will have huge responsibility to carry out the vital action we need to tackle the climate and nature crisis in the coming years.

We believe that the next Welsh Government must deliver a Wales fit for future generations. WWF-Cymru’s manifesto is fighting for a fairer society for the next generation and wants to make Wales a more resilient nation. Earth Hour encourages us to have conversations about our planet and what decisions we are making to protect it.

Sign up

To take part, simply switch off any non-essential lights for one hour on Saturday, 27 March at 8:30pm. You could also:

• Catch up on David Attenborough’s ‘A Life on Our Planet’ if you have Netflix.
• Download the WWF Footprints App and sign up to an Earth Hour challenge and discover how you can make a difference, one step at a time.

By 2030, nature and wildlife could be recovering all around us and we could have significantly reduced our emissions in Wales.

It won’t happen overnight, but everyone has a part to play in making that happen – Earth Hour is a good place to start. Find out how Wales can lead the way here by exploring our #WWFCymruManifesto.

Be part of the conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #EarthHourWales #AwrDdaear and our handle @wwfcymru.