Macau will join the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) campaign on Saturday and turn off its lights for an hour in defense of the planet, local authorities announced today.
Public services, the four bridges that connect the Macau peninsula to the Taipa area, six entertainment complexes and hotels, some companies, some government buildings and emblematic structures in the city will, "in light of their own reality", turn off "unnecessary lights", to "show determination to protect the environment, dedicating one hour to the Earth", reads a statement from the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA).
The "Earth Hour" initiative, an invitation from the Hong Kong delegation of the environmental organization WWF, foresees that the switches will be turned off between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm (12:30 pm and 1:30 pm in Lisbon) on Saturday.
The Government also appealed to the population to follow suit.
According to the statement, DSPA asks "all sectors of society to turn off the lights as much as possible that night and turn on hope, in order to reduce carbon emissions on the planet, for one hour", supporting "the achievement of the national 'double carbon target'".
China wants to reach peak carbon emissions in 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060. WWF Portugal made the same appeal on March 7 to all citizens to turn off their lights between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm this Saturday.
"This year, we want to create the biggest Earth Hour ever, bringing together more people and more actions in favor of our common home. The challenge has been launched!", highlighted the executive director of WWF Portugal, Ângela Morgado, quoted in a statement from the organization.
Earth Hour is a historic WWF event that began in 2007 in Australia and has been celebrated in Portugal since 2008. From "a simple symbolic gesture of turning off lights in houses, buildings and monuments, Earth Hour has become a global, active and mobilizing movement" and "this year WWF Portugal is expanding an initiative that allows us to count the time dedicated to building a more sustainable planet: the Hours Bank, where each person, company or municipality can record their actions and measure the real impact of their contribution to a more sustainable world", said the statement.
"Earth Hour is no longer just a symbolic gesture. Today, it is a global movement that brings together millions of people in defense of our common home. The time to act is now: we are facing an unprecedented crisis in biodiversity and the collapse of ecosystems. Every action counts, and it is imperative that everyone comes together to combat these threats," says Angela Morgado.
The initiative, to raise awareness about the loss of nature due to climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, currently represents "the largest global movement for the defense of the environment, with more than 190 countries and territories (90% of the Planet) united through a symbolic gesture and/or actions that make a difference and inspire".
WWF was founded in 1961 and is today one of the largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than five million supporters and an active network in more than 100 countries.
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