Lights Dim, Spirits Soar in support of climate and biodiversity action as Singaporeans unite at Orchard Road for Earth Hour 2024

• WWF-Singapore’s Earth Hour was observed at Wisma Atria, with many landmark buildings along Singapore’s Orchard Road and across the island going dark in support of climate and biodiversity
  
• WWF-Singapore launched the global Hour Bank initiative in Singapore this year – encouraging individuals to donate an hour or more of their time committing to climate action, such as shopping sustainably, eating in a planet-friendly way or cultivating a love for nature. 
  
• Singaporeans from around the island gathered to observe the Earth Hour Festival which consisted of numerous activities including eco-workshops, pop-up booths and performances
  
  

SINGAPORE, 23 MARCH 2024 — On Saturday, March 23, 2024, thousands gathered at the Earth Hour Festival at Wisma Atria Singapore to celebrate Earth Hour 2024, one of the largest annual global grassroots movements for the environment. Attendees participated in various eco-centric activities and took part in the iconic Switch Off moment from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Organised by WWF-Singapore (World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore), the event focused on raising awareness and rallying action on climate resilience through community engagement. 

The Earth Hour Festival in Singapore was built upon three thematic pillars: 

• Climate & Sustainability 
• Nature & Biodiversity 
• Community

These pillars echoed the findings of the Voices of Singapore study conducted by WWF-Singapore. Earth Hour sought to highlight the interconnectedness between climate change and nature loss. The hour highlighted a striking temperature increase of 0.25°C per decade between 1948 and 2022 in Singapore, double the rate observed globally. The loss of 69% of wildlife populations globally since 1970, revealed by the latest WWF Living Planet Report, highlights the crisis of biodiversity loss facing humanity.

Earth Hour 2024 harnesses the power of individual action in responding to the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

The festival featured a magical Switch Off moment alongside a curated array of climate-conscious activities, including performances, educational stations and circular economy workshops

At the heart of WWF-Singapore’s Earth Hour Festival was the call for individuals to contribute to WWF’s global Hour Bank initiative—a collective tally of nature-positive actions pledged during Earth Hour and beyond. Netizens & festival-goers pledged many hours towards positive climate actions, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.

“With the simple gesture of switching off for one hour, the people of Singapore along with businesses & policymakers, united to send a resounding message today: climate action matters. The launch of Hour Bank in Singapore shows that we are determined to act for our planet beyond the hour. Earth Hour encourages our community to learn more about the science behind climate change, and to reflect on how to act together with conservation organisations and Singapore’s Green Plan to secure the future of our next generation.”, shared Vivek Kumar, CEO of WWF-Singapore

Some of the festival highlights included:

1. Epson planting workshop using pots recycled from used EcoTank ink bottles, highlighting the crucial link between people and nature. Epson, as the first-ever International Partner for Earth Hour, aimed to raise awareness about these issues and collaborated to protect and restore the Coral Triangle. This was a powerful example of how businesses innovate to give their products a new purpose, contributing to sustainability efforts while promoting environmental consciousness among participants.
2. As part of Watsons’ collaboration with WWF for Earth Hour 2024 Roadshows, they spotlighted sustainable selections from both Watsons Brand and their Exclusive Brands. At Watsons’ pop-up booth in Wisma Atria, patrons were encouraged to participate in recycling efforts by bringing their own bottles, rewarded with a complimentary 100ml refill of Naturals by Watsons Shampoo or Shower gel. Additionally, those who followed Watsons Singapore on either Facebook or Instagram also received a free Naturals by Watsons Hand Cream.
3. Children were delighted with the opportunity to receive Glow-in-the-dark Panda Tattoos and meet beloved Sesame Street characters like Elmo and the Cookie Monster. This year’s festival held particular significance for children, as WWF Singapore understands the importance of instilling environmental stewardship values from a young age. Partnering with beloved children’s programs like Sesame Street added to this mission, as the show has episodes dedicated to environmental stewardship values.
4. One of WWF’s EcoSchools, Henry Park School showcased an activity station presenting student-led projects engaging the entire school community. Students distributed homemade eco-enzymes, a versatile liquid derived from organic waste, as a token of appreciation. The school, honoured with the Green Flag Award for its waste reduction and sustainability efforts, also had its Primary Choir perform enchanting songs at the Symbolic Switch-Off event.
5. The festival’s edutainment stations provided interactive experiences for attendees to recycle and reuse materials, play games like “Sort and Score” and explore the significance of ecosystem services through activities such as “Wild Match.” Attendees also had the opportunity to discover Hour Bank and register personal commitments towards sustainability.
6. As the evening approached and anticipation grew for the famous ‘Switch Off’ moment at 8:30 pm, attendees eagerly awaited the entertainment lined up for the occasion. Hosted by MediaCorp celebrity Joakim Gomez, the Switch Off featured captivating performances by WWF’s Eco-Schools, Damaru Singapore, Green Drummers, and the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS). The gradual dimming of lights across Orchard Road created a poignant moment of unity in the collective effort for the planet.

Orchard Road, Singapore’s iconic shopping district, transformed into a beacon of solidarity during Earth Hour as renowned buildings such as ION Orchard, 313@somerset, Forum The Shopping Mall, Orchard Hotel Singapore, Paragon, Shangri-La Singapore, Shaw House, and more dimmed their lights. The city’s skyline took on a serene glow as these landmarks, including Wheelock Place, Paragon, Tang Plaza, and others, united in support of the global movement for environmental awareness and action.

Beyond Earth Hour, WWF-Singapore’s commitment to local and regional conservation efforts is evident. The Earth Hour Summit and ASFI Academy courses on sustainable finance, have seen over 25,000 participants benefiting from the e-courses. In the realm of marine conservation, Epson Southeast Asia and WWF-Singapore are collaborating in a multi-year regional partnership, which extends its reach across six regional countries – Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Viet Nam. This includes a pioneering pilot project on the restoration of light-limited reef areas in the Southern Islands of Singapore. Additionally, initiatives such as the Cyber Spotters Programme, training vigilant volunteers to combat illegal wildlife trade listings, took down over 15,000 listings of illegal wildlife trade. The heartbeat of community engagement pulsated strongly through the WWF Eco-Schools programme, with a remarkable 14,000 participants from 136 schools who embarked on sustainable initiatives within their campuses. These endeavours, rooted in enlightenment and action, marked a pivotal moment towards a more sustainable, harmonious future for Singapore and beyond.

For more information, please visit https://www.wwf.sg/earthhour/

Learn more and join the movement: https://www.wwf.sg/earthhour/  

#BiggestHourForEarth #SwitchOff #EarthHour2024 #LightsOutVibes #EarthHourSG 

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About Earth Hour 

Earth Hour is WWF’s 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 organisations in more than 180 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action for over a decade. Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, Earth Hour has strived to also 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 change. 

About WWF-Singapore

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. As one of WWF’s international hubs, WWF-Singapore supports a global network spanning over 100 countries. 
WWF-Singapore works closely with local stakeholders towards a greener and more sustainable Singapore and the region around us. We work to address key conservation areas, such as deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, oceans, food security, sustainable finance and sustainable consumption through education and outreach efforts with individuals, businesses and governments. For more information, please visit wwf.sg.

Annex A
As mentioned in the release, special thanks to:

International Partner: Epson
Print and Outreach Partner: Epson Southeast Asia

Venue Partner: Wisma Atria

Lead Partners: 

• Watsons Singapore 
• Samsonite 

Supporting Partner: 

• Wing Tai Retail

Official Broadcast Media Partner: 

• StarHub  

Official OOH Media Partner

• Plan B Media

Arts & Performances

• Damaru Singapore
• Green Drummers 
• Henry Park Primary School
• Orchid Park Secondary School
• Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS)