Lights out, voices up: Earth Hour marks 20 years of global climate action
The 20th edition of Earth Hour has begun in New Zealand, setting off a wave of symbolic lights-out events across the globe aimed at raising awareness about climate change, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
Landmarks across the country went dark on Saturday evening as the annual initiative officially kicked off. Among the first to switch off their lights at 8:30 p.m. local time were Auckland’s Sky Tower and New Zealand’s Parliament building in Wellington.
“Tonight, we will be switching off our Sky Tower lights and be one of the first monuments in the world to ‘go dark’ in support of Earth Hour, the global initiative shining its own light on support for our planet,” the official Sky Tower account said.
Launched in Australia in 2006 and first observed in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour encourages individuals, businesses and governments to turn off non-essential lights for one hour to highlight the urgency of climate action. The initiative has since grown into a global movement, spanning private homes, restaurants, and some of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
This year, monuments including the Sydney Opera House, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and New York’s Empire State Building joined the campaign, switching off their lights at 20:30 local time.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which organizes the event, more than 3 million hours were pledged across 118 countries and territories last year, underscoring the sustained global engagement with the initiative.
Despite competing global challenges, WWF representatives stressed that climate change remains a critical issue.
“Currently, the climate crisis is repeatedly pushed into the background in light of the many global challenges. However, it doesn’t disappear. On the contrary, it exacerbates many of these crises,” said Viviane Raddatz, head of climate at WWF Germany.
“With Earth Hour, we are bringing climate action back into the public spotlight. We are making it visible. People care about this issue and it belongs at the very top of the political agenda,” she added.
Global participation extended to landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Sagrada Família Basilica in Barcelona, both of which dimmed their lights for an hour in solidarity.
“Tonight, the world switches off to show our collective support for our shared home. Switch off at 8:30pm local time and stand up for our planet alongside millions around the world for #EarthHour!” the WWF said in a statement.
Marking two decades of the initiative, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for renewed commitment to climate action.
“Earth Hour began as a simple gesture. Now it is a global signal: people everywhere are calling for climate action,” he said.
“This year, as Earth Hour marks 20 years of impact, I invite you to join the millions who are turning off non-essential lights… But let it be more than a shot in the dark. Let it be a spark for change.”
Guterres also urged governments and societies to “demand faster emissions cuts; a rapid and just transition from fossil fuels to renewables; and real support for communities already facing the worst impacts,” adding: “Speak up. Mobilize. Help power a safer, fairer future for all.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan joined the international Earth Hour environmental campaign on March 28. The theme for 2026 was designated as the development of ecotourism in the country, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology.
