We are no strangers to being left in the dark due to loadshedding. So, when Earth Hour comes around on 26 March this year, we are not asking South Africans to switch off their lights.

Instead, we are asking our supporters to sign up for a global movement which is calling for a better future for our planet. This includes a better energy future to limit climate change by opting for renewables over fossil fuels.

Earth Hour remains the largest citizen participatory event aimed at social consciousness in support of the environment and we do not wish to miss this moment. We have no time to waste. We are already seeing the impacts of climate change in our warming world. Lives and livelihoods are being affected as the result of more frequent extreme weather events, from heatwaves to floods and wildfires. 

We need to realise that what we do to our planet, we do to ourselves. We are shaping our future with every action we take, and our current experience is just a foretaste of what is to come if we do not act now. Without more ambition and faster implementation of national and international policy aimed at curbing climate change we will miss this last chance to limit warming to 1.5°C.

This means that the most important action we can take right now is to work together to raise public awareness, and to hold the private and public sector accountable for fulfilling their climate commitments.

WWF South Africa CEO Dr Morné du Plessis comments: “The uncomfortable space we find ourselves in right now is no accident. Our energy crisis is connected to our climate crisis and the way in which we treat nature. Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations about this planetary crisis and what we can do to change our trajectory for a better future for people and nature.”

On 26 March from 8.30 to 9.30pm during Earth Hour, we will mark the symbolic hour by joining a global conversation on the most pressing environmental issues of the day. You too can join the movement.