CANADA, March 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Earth Hour, WWF’s landmark movement, is set once again to unite millions of people around the world to show their commitment to the planet. As our one shared home faces the dual challenge of climate change and plummeting wildlife populations, the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment aims to mobilize individuals, businesses and governments to be a part of the conversation and solutions needed to build a healthy, sustainable planet for all.
About Earth Hour
- Started as a symbolic lights out event in Sydney in 2007.
- Now celebrated in more than 180 countries and territories as a global moment of solidarity for the planet.
- Inspired millions to support and participate in critical climate and conservation projects led by WWF and many others, helping drive climate policy, awareness and action.
- Online #EarthHour and related terms last year generated over 3.5 billion impressions in the run up to Earth Hour, trending in at least 30 countries worldwide on the night
New for Earth Hour 2018
- As global and national wildlife populations decline at an unprecedented rate, this Earth Hour will focus on galvanizing mainstream support for action on the loss of wildlife and nature.
- Starting today, supporters can visit connect2earth.org to hare what biodiversity and nature means to them in the places they live in and find out more about it. Created in partnership with the secretariat of the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity, the platform aims to build mass awareness on the values of biodiversity and nature by kick-starting global conversations on issues such as climate action, healthy oceans and sustainable business. The project is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety with funding from the International Climate Initiative.
About wildlife loss
- Globally, the planet is on track to lose 67 per cent of wildlife populations by 2020.
- In Canada, populations of more than one-half of monitored species have already declined by 83 per cent on average since 1970
- The causes include habitat loss, pollution, unsustainable harvest, invasive species and climate change, which risks pushing one in six species to extinction.
Megan Leslie, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada, says:
“Wildlife loss is real, it’s widespread in Canada and around the world, it’s happening now and it affects all of us. Declining wildlife populations rely on the same things people need to thrive: Safe places to go about their lives, plenty of food and abundant healthy water. When you turn out your lights this Earth Hour, home by home, street by street, community by community, you’re showing that together we need to take the necessary steps to reverse the decline of wildlife.”
Marco Lambertini, director-general of WWF International, says:
“Biodiversity and nature underpin our lives, our economies, our health, our well-being, our happiness. It is the foundation of our living planet. Today, as we push the planet and its natural systems to the edge, Earth Hour is our chance to use our power, as individuals and as a collective, to demand and take action to protect this web of life in return for all it gives us. For the benefit of all life on Earth and of our own future.”
Cristiana Paşca Palmer, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), says:
“Earth Hour is a testament to the power of a simple idea to inspire people to take action to protect the Earth. As we take an hour to reflect on the vital role that biodiversity and nature play in our lives, let this be the spark that galvanizes action for transformation to a more sustainable future. The CBD Secretariat is delighted to be working with WWF, and with people all over the world to build a movement where people and communities make a personal connection with Earth. The reflections, conversations and actions we start today will help protect biodiversity at the local, national and global levels, and lead us on a journey of living in harmony with nature.”
Notes to editors
Link to photos of previous Earth Hour events and impacts: https://hive.panda.org/Share/wdv0o80b113lxo2s2s6mk5xi6qvn185j
About the Convention on Biological Diversity
Opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and entering into force in December 1993, the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. With 196 Parties so far, the Convention has near universal participation among countries. The Convention seeks to address all threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including threats from climate change, through scientific assessments, the development of tools, incentives and processes, the transfer of technologies and good practices and the full and active involvement of relevant stakeholders including indigenous and local communities, youth, NGOs, women and the business community. For more information visit: www.cbd.int. For additional information, please contact: David Ainsworth on +1 514 287 7025 or at david.ainsworth@cbd.int; or Johan Hedlund on +1 514 287 6670 or at johan.hedlund@cbd.int.
About the International Climate Initiative (IKI)
Since 2008, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) has been financing climate and biodiversity projects in developing and newly industrializing countries, as well as in countries in transition. In the early years of the program, its financial resources came from the proceeds of auctioning allowances under the emissions trading scheme. To ensure financial continuity, further funds were made available through the Special Energy and Climate Fund. Both funding mechanisms are now part of the Federal Environment Ministry’s regular budget. The IKI is a key element of Germany’s climate financing and the funding commitments in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Initiative places clear emphasis on climate change mitigation, adaptation to the impacts of climate change and the protection of biological diversity. These efforts provide various co-benefits, particularly the improvement of living conditions in partner countries. https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/about-the-iki/iki-funding-instrument
About World Wildlife Fund Canada
WWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit wwf.ca.
Attachment:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ddb36d3f-f87e-4aa4-9cef-2e7031cd72a4