Pakistan marks Earth Hour digitally amid virus scare

KARACHI: Pakistan on Saturday observed the Earth Hour 2020 virtually amid coronavirus pandemic and marked a moment of solidarity for the planet.

To conserve energy and show commitment towards earth, non-essential lights in homes and other buildings were switched off between 8:30pm and 9:30pm.

Earth Hour is WWF flagship global environmental movement.

Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the world's largest grassroots movements for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 180 countries.

Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, it has strived to bring the pressing issue of nature loss to the fore.

The aim is to create an unstoppable movement for nature, as it did when the world came together to tackle climate change.

The movement recognises the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive the change. Through symbolic candle-lighting events, WWF-Pakistan’s

goodwill ambassadors, environmentalists and passionate citizens pledged their

support for nature and people. It provided a platform for online conversations about the

loss of nature and “why nature matters” to the people and drew attention to the

immediate need to halt nature and biodiversity losses. Earth Hour provided a pivotal opportunity to civil society members, citizens, nation heads, CEOs and environmentalists to demonstrate the need for a new deal for nature and people by pledging their support at and

raising their voice for the planet.

Director General WWF-Pakistan Hammad Naqi Khan regretted over the loss of lives from coronavirus pandemic and stressed on the need to save the planet. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives from the COVID-19 outbreak and our thoughts are with their families who have lost loved ones or who are sick. In this hour of crisis, we acknowledge the need for urgent action and the need to unite now more than ever to safeguard our future

and the future of our planet. It is a time for solidarity and a time to respond to challenges more creatively and work more collaboratively, which is why Earth Hour is being marked through digital events across the globe,” he said.

WWF Goodwill Ambassador Anoushay Ashraf noted that initiatives like the Earth Hour continued to create awareness on the importance of nature and emphasised that people should unite and make a difference by changing their lifestyles. “Citizens should minimise the use of plastic and manage energy and water resources wisely,” she said.

Actor Ali Rehman who is also the goodwill ambassador for WWF observed that he had joined the campaign to fulfill his duty as a responsible global citizen. “We must all come together to work for a better and healthy environment and make every possible effort to tackle the threats faced by the earth,” he said.