Overview
- The worldwide lights-off, held Saturday from 8:30 to 9:30 pm local time, marks the campaign’s 20th year under the theme “Give an Hour for Earth.”
- New Zealand started the wave with Auckland’s Sky Tower and Wellington’s parliament going dark, with Australian landmarks like the Sydney Opera House set to follow and major sites in Europe and the United States later in the night.
- Pakistan’s president and prime minister urged people and public offices to switch off non-essential lighting, linking the observance to climate efforts such as Upscaling Green Pakistan, Living Indus and Recharge Pakistan.
- Indian authorities pressed for participation, with Delhi’s BSES calling on millions of consumers, planning office switch-offs, and citing a 269 MW saving last year, while states including Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh issued formal appeals.
- WWF leaders emphasize the event’s symbolic role in building momentum for real-world change, and past research has found short-term electricity use falls by about 4 percent during the hour.