Earth Hour - Saturday 29 March 2014 at 8.30pm

About Earth Hour in the UAE

As an associate office of WWF, Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS-WWF) has been communicating the message of Earth Hour in the UAE since 2008, inviting individuals and organisations to join this global environmental call to action.  Support has since been garnered from four million people across all seven emirates, a host of famous landmarks as well as the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum.
Get Enlightened, Make the Switch!
Earth Hour is not just a single day event but a movement and platform for impactful and lasting environmental change and EWS-WWF wants the UAE to be part of it! This year EWS-WWF is encouraging people to take charge of their own impact on the planet by switching to energy efficient light bulbs in its ‘Get Enlightened - Make the Switch’ campaign. 

By getting enlightened and making the switch, we can collectively reduce CO2 emissions in the country by 940,000 tonnes per year. That is the equivalent of removing 165,000 cars from the roads annually. What’s more, it is estimated that by making the switch, the UAE can save AED668 million per year; with an average villa in Dubai saving up to AED2315 annually on electricity bills. 

How to Make the Switch!
This Earth Hour at 8.30pm on Saturday March 29, switch off your lights for the hour and make the switch to energy efficient lighting.

Energy efficient light bulbs are now available in a number of different colour temperatures from warm to cool. Warm tends to be more yellow, while cool tends to be more white/blue. Even though energy efficient light bulbs are more expensive, in the long run they are more cost-effective as they last longer and use less energy.

The best energy efficient lighting options are LEDs, high efficiency CFLs, Halogens and LF light bulbs.  For more information on what to look for consult out card kit for Earth Hour: http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/eh_cardkit_eng_aw.pdf 

About Earth Hour around the world

WWF’s Earth Hour is the world’s largest grass-roots environmental movement towards action on climate change. Earth Hour is an opportunity for people around the world to unite in taking a symbolic stand against climate change and act for a sustainable future by switching off all non-essential lights for one hour. With the invitation to ‘switch off and use your power’ extended to everyone, Earth Hour has rapidly grown into an annual event that inspires more and more people to join the call to do something good for our planet.

From its beginnings in just one city, Sydney, in 2007, it has become an international phenomenon reaching out to more than 1.8 billion people worldwide. Switching off one light in one room in one house may seem insignificant, but Earth Hour shows how people can come together and make a positive environmental change.

Earth Hour 2014 is on Saturday 29 March at 8.30pm– closely coinciding with the autumn and spring equinoxes. This ensures that during the hour most cities are in darkness because it is when sunset times are almost the same in both hemispheres.  This will ensure the greatest visual impact for a global ‘lights out’ event as Earth Hour is rolled out around the world. 

About the UAE Energy Efficiency Lighting Standard
To find out more about the Energy Efficiency Lighting Standard link here: 

Press release: http://www.uae.panda.org/?216231/UAE-introduces-indoor-lighting-standard-good-for-environment-and-good-for-economy

Infographic: http://awsassets.panda.org/downloads/lighting_standard_infographic_english_2.pdf