Flick the switch to save the planet – Earth Hour

22 March 2017

MEDIA RELEASE 

Local businesses will unite to protect the planet by switching off their lights for Earth Hour on 25 March.

This year, Waverley Council is delighted to have local restaurants, cafés and bars participate in Dine by Candlelight,which offers their customers a candlelit or low-light dining experience to show their support for action on climate change.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Earth Hour.What started as an Aussie idea has grown into a global movement for change in sustainability.

Earth Hour launched in Sydney in 2007, with 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses participating in the ‘lights off’ event.

The event is now celebrated in over 172 countries and over 7,000 cities and towns worldwide. Last year, one in every four Australians took part in the event.

Mayor of Waverley, Sally Betts said Earth Hour brings people together, “I’m so proud to be involved in the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment.”

“Our planet is in our hands and every little bit helps. We will participate by switching off the lights at our main facilities this weekend.”

“We have also reduce energy use in our buildings since installing 12 solar panel systems across our main sites. We’re on track to meeting our own organisation’s carbon emission target of 30 per cent reduction by 2020. At Council, we try to make every hour Earth Hour.”

In conjunction with the event, Waverley Council is sponsoring 34 high school students to participate in a two-day Earth Hour Youth Summit on 23–24 March.

The event will be hosted by the Australian Youth Climate Change Coalition (AYCC) and will provide inspiring speakers and change-makers to engage the youth on climate change, its impact on our planet,and ways we can work together to help address it.

Rose Bay Secondary College, Waverley College and Moriah College students will be attending along with students from across Sydney.

For more information please visit waverley.nsw.gov.au/earthhour2017