This Saturday evening marks the annual Earth Hour, organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Millions of people across the globe switch off their non-essential lights at 8.30 p.m. local time for an hour.

Many iconic buildings, such as Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Sydney Opera House and the Parthenon temple on top of the Acropolis hill in Athens, participate in this big switch-off.

As the city skylines turn dark for the hour, it helps focus the attention of individuals and world leaders on the need to deal with the climate emergency.

It started in Sydney in 2007 as a 'Lights Out' event to raise awareness about climate change, and is now one of the largest global environmental movements for the planet powered by the people, engaging millions of people across 180 countries. 

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This year, Earth Hour is going online.

"For Earth Hour 2021, we are asking people to go to our social channels to watch the video, find out how and why we must take urgent action for our planet right now because there's absolutely no time to waste," explains Vanessa Lim Singh, WWF International's digital engagement manager and Earth Hour's official spokesperson.

The Earth Hour team says going online has been one of one of the best changes so far because the initiative can now reach far and wide and mobilize millions across the globe to raise their voice for the planet.

A symbolic gesture

The switch-off is a symbolic gesture to show solidarity with the planet, and participation in Earth Hour shows a commitment to change beyond the hour. 

The idea is to encourage individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue that provides real solutions to our environmental challenges. 

So, what individual steps can each one of us take towards protecting our planet?

"Making more sustainable lifestyle choices can go a long way in protecting our planet, whether it's looking at the way we consume, making sure that the food we eat comes from sustainable and responsible sources," suggests Lim Singh.

"We can also help if we reduce food waste and use public transport, as often as is possible. So there are many ways that people can make a difference. It gives us the opportunity to put nature and climate up at the very top of the global agenda. 

"And Earth Hour 2021 is our moment to make that happen – start a movement for nature and call the world leaders to make the change that we need to see happen."

The symbolism can lead to a tangible shift. A study in 2017-18 by the Cambridge Green Challenge, a University of Cambridge research initiative, showed that

• A single light left on overnight over a year accounts for as much greenhouse gas as a car drive from Cambridge to Paris - 539km

• Each light left overnight in an office over a year costs $33.10

• The UK wastes $234.45 million a year by leaving lights on unnecessarily (Energy Saving Trust)

• Turning off the lights that are not needed could reduce carbon emission by 171kg each year (Energy Saving Trust).

The power of Earth Hour

Over the years, Earth Hour has been the driving force for many people-powered environmental movements. 

"It shows us that when individuals, communities, businesses across the world unite, we can really create a collective difference," says Lim Singh. 

And there is plenty that the movement has achieved. It has secured a ban on plastic pollution in Ecuador and has also ensured enhanced protection for seas and forests in Russia. 

"We've used Earth Hour to also build the first Earth Hour forest in Uganda, spanning 2,700 hectares," she adds. 

And as it is a grassroots movement, it has encouraged communities to rally together to organize events that help make a difference for the planet.

Examples include planting 17 million trees in Kazakhstan, creating a 3.5 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina, planting 20,000 mangrove seedlings in 13 cities in Indonesia and lighting up homes with solar power in India and the Philippines.

"They all contribute towards securing a better, more sustainable future for us all," she says.

An unmissable opportunity for change

The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, will be held in November this year in Glasgow. 

It will lead to key decisions on major climate change and sustainable development. 

"This year is absolutely critical because world leaders will be taking decisions that will affect each and every one of us in the coming decade," says Lim Singh.

"For climate, what we need to see is decisions that will put us on a path to net zero emissions in the next few decades."

She says it is essential that we transition to a future powered by renewable energy and phase out fossil fuels and acknowledge that nature is our best ally against tackling the climate crisis. 

"So when we secure better protection for oceans and forests, we are also strengthening our fight against a climate crisis," she explains.

"We're destroying nature like never before and we're seeing increasing evidence that links the nature crisis to the health crisis which we're experiencing right now, which is why now more than ever, we need action for the environment and to protect and create a more sustainable and healthier future for all of us."

Video Editing: Nuri Moseinco