21 Mar 2024
Happy Thursday 🌍 🌱
We know what you’re thinking - another environmental day?
Just this week, we’ve had Global Recycling Day (March 18th), World Rewilding Day (March 20th) and tomorrow, we’ll have World Water Day (March 22nd).
It can be overwhelming.
However, global environmental awareness events such as these provide excellent platforms for discussing the myriad of environmental risks we face on our planet,
By uniting large collectives of people worldwide under common themes, they enable us to have more informed conversations and increase our global potential for solutions.
So, what is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour, organized by WWF, is a global grassroots movement uniting people to take action on environmental issues and protect the planet. Engaging a massive mainstream community, Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-out event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Since then, it has grown to engage millions of supporters in more than 185 countries and territories, inspiring individuals and organisations worldwide to take action for the environment and driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the crowd.
Who is Earth Hour 2024 for?
Everyone. Earth Hour is a moment of unity that brings the world together, shines a spotlight on nature loss and the climate crisis, and inspires millions more to act and advocate for urgent change.
For this newsletter, we will focus on the actions businesses can take to promote Earth Hour.
If you’d like to participate without your organisation, you can sign up here as an individual.
When is Earth Hour 2024 Taking Place?
March 23rd at 8:30 pm your local time.
Promoting Earth Hour in Your Business: 5 Actionable Steps
1. Leverage the Official Earth Hour 2024 Corporate Guidebook.
The official Earth Hour 2024 Corporate Guidebook is a fantastic resource for highlighting the history of Earth Hour, the business case for taking part, and actionable initiatives to engage your team with under 2024’s theme of #BiggestHourforEarth.
You can view the 2024 guidebook here.
2. Organise a Lights-Off Event.
Motivate your team to switch off lights at their desks and any unnecessary lighting throughout the office, transforming this initiative into a united effort. For safety, there's no need to darken every corner; consider adjusting non-critical lights, dimming computer screens, and ensuring unused spaces are light-free.
3. Office Cinema.
Consider hosting a lunch and learn with a nature documentary viewing, like "Blue Planet," to combine education with Earth Hour's ethos. While this might seem at odds with a 'lights-out' approach, you can adapt by turning off lights in unused office areas or opting for a dim, cinema-style setting with just the projector light. This compromise keeps the focus on environmental awareness while ensuring participation doesn't disrupt the overall aim of energy conservation.
4. Engage the Public Through Social Media.
Amplify your Earth Hour activities by sharing them on your company’s social media platforms. Challenge other businesses in your network to participate, creating a ripple effect of awareness and action. Sharing your Earth Hour plans might encourage others to commit to #BiggestHourforEarth.
You can view the official Earth Hour brand resources here.
5. Employee Awareness Training.
Global environmental awareness events like Earth Hour are an excellent way to accelerate your organisation’s eco-literacy levels. Whether that’s an informal lunch-and-learn session or a more structured sustainability learning pathway, employee eco-literacy is crucial in reaching organisational net-zero goals to help the planet. If it’s too tight for Earth Hour, Earth Week is just around the corner in April.
The unique opportunity to engage with Earth Hour 2024.
Earth Hour 2024 offers businesses across the UK, EU and beyond a powerful and unique platform to demonstrate their commitment to the planet.
By engaging in these five actions, companies not only contribute to a global cause but also inspire their employees and communities to think more critically about their environmental impact.
Every action counts for Earth Hour 2024.
Vyra's sustainability training is crafted for companies committed to ESG excellence. Why not explore our recent courses and see what else you can learn!