KSA steps up green effort for Earth Hour

Saudi Arabia will join Earth Hour by turning off all unnecessary lights and electrical equipment between 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. today.

Many companies and offices in the Kingdom have announced their participation in the campaign as many tall buildings and offices will be blacked out during this hour.

Earth Hour 2012 is to be held globally under the slogan "I will, if you will," calls on all individuals, businesses, government agencies and educational institutions to unite in challenging one another to commit to changing their behavior toward conservation and preserving planet earth, no matter how great or small the action or challenge might be.

Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn their lights off for one hour, all at the same time, to show their support for global action on climate change.

Earth Hour is a global World Wildlife Fund (WWF) climate change initiative.

The Earth Hour campaign aims to unite people to protect the planet.

Now a truly global phenomenon, the cause is supported by industry leaders, celebrities and the world's most iconic and recognizable building and tourist attractions.

Earth Hour is the largest global environmental event for the cause of planet earth in which millions of people across the world come together in a mark of solidarity against the biggest threat to our living environment, climate change, by turning off all unnecessary lights and electrical equipment between the hours of 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. today.

Dubai will also join Earth Hour by turning off all unnecessary lights today.

Last year's Earth Hour celebrations in Dubai saved a record 204,000 kW/h and 122,000 kg of carbon emissions through the participation of individuals, businesses, government departments and educational institutions in the Earth Hour initiative.

The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights.

Last year more than 50 million people around the globe participated from 4,616 cities and towns across 128 countries by switching off their lights for one hour.

Global landmarks that participated last year were London's Big Ben, the Sydney Opera House and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Estimates are that more than 100 countries including Saudi Arabia will be participating this year.

Saudi Wild Life, the official representative of Earth Hour in the Kingdom, is working hard to ensure individuals, companies and government institutions take action, during the hour and beyond, to help make a positive change.

Earth Hour will begin in New Zealand and Australia, gradually traveling west as the planet goes dark.