​2012-03-29: Joburg lights out for Earth Hour

THE City of Johannesburg will join thousands of other cities, organisations and individuals around the world during Earth Hour, a global initiative against climate change takes place on Saturday, 31 March 2012 from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.

For this one-hour, the lights will be switched off at landmarks and hot spots from Europe to Asia, from America to Africa. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) encourages people from all over the world to turn off their lights for one hour in a symbolic gesture to pledge their commitment to taking action for the environment.

The City will be showing its support for Earth Hour and indicating the seriousness around tackling climate change.

Lights will be turned off in some of the City of Johannesburg's iconic buildings and landmarks, which include the Nelson Mandela Bridge, Queen Elizabeth Bridge both in Braamfontein, Telkom Tower in Hillbrow, Ponte Building, Soccer City Stadium and Orlando Regional Park in Soweto.

The Earth Hour initiative supports the City of Johannesburg's Environmental Management System and other projects designed to minimise Joburg's impact on the environment and to reduce its carbon footprint.

Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in 2007. Last year Earth Hour reached more than 1.8 billion people with hundreds of millions participating in more 5200 cities and towns in 135 countries across every continent by switching off their lights for Earth Hour 2011, creating history as the world's greatest ever environmental mass action.

Some of the world's most famous man-made marvels and natural wonders, including the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue, the Empire State Building and many global icons stood in darkness as a powerful symbol of landmark environmental action.

For more information contact:
Nkosinathi Nkabinde
Communication Specialist
City of Johannesburg Public Liaison Department
Tel: (011) 407 - 6477
Cell: 083 408 7787
E-mail: nkosinathin@joburg.org.za