Earth Hour 2022: Help save our future - Turn off the lights.

Earth Hour, initiated by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007 in Australia, is a global grassroots movement uniting people to take action for commitments to combat global warming and climate change. The campaign aims to raise awareness and support simple efforts that can conserve energy and tackle climate change. Depending on natural resources to develop its human and socio-economy development in alignment with the sustainable and green growth direction, Laos also takes this opportunity to improve perception of public on environmental issues such as climate change, natural resource management, and energy conservation.

Ms. Bounkham Vorachit, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, emphasized: “Earth Hour is considered a crucial activity showcasing great attention and efforts provided by human beings upon our planet. Government of the Lao PDR recognizes the importance of the environment reflected in its previous efforts for addressing global warming and climate change, together with the global community through the formulation of policies and strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emission, increasing forest coverage to absorb CO2, promoting creativity and innovation, using renewable and clean energy, as well as other activities that contribute to addressing the global warming and climate change, while protecting the environment and nature.  I would like to take this opportunity to invite whole society to participate in the campaign by turning off lights at offices, organizations and houses for one hour, starting from 8:30pm-9:30pm on Saturday, 26 March 2022 to help protecting our world from the global warming and preserving it for the future generations.”

Ms. Sara Sekkenes, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Lao PDR, noted “the Earth Hour campaign on 26 March is a simple action and a powerful reminder that to use resources wisely is to live in higher harmony with nature. The United Nations in Lao PDR has been working closely with the Government in support of its commitment during the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 under UN Climate Change Conference, and therefore its commitment to the people of Lao PDR. Together with local institutions, these efforts will ensure Lao people, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised, can sustainably access, manage, preserve, and benefit from natural resources, and promote green growth that is risk-informed, and disaster and climate-resilient. Earth Hour is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness on the importance of the environmental protection, particularly to remind ourselves of the importance of saving energy, and addressing climate change in order to protect our planet for future generations. This requires the sustained partnership and commitment of all stakeholders - from the whole of society – to help meet COP goals and help slow the impact of climate change.  We hope you will help us keep this commitment by joining Earth Hour.”

Mr. Loris Palentini, Country Director of WWF-Laos, stated: "The next decades are going to be more critical than ever; climate change is the biggest crisis the world is called to collectively face and address. Earth Hour is our opportunity to promote a better future and protect our planet. It is our opportunity to promote reversal of global trends and promote a positive change. It is our opportunity to highlight ways to stop global warming, biodiversity loss and turn to a nature net positive future. You have the power to do something and support our planet. We need to act now, all together. Turning our lights off for Earth Hour here in Laos is a simple, but important signal. It shows that Laos is joining the global fight to deliver a better world to the future generations”.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Khaikeo Chanthavisouk, Deputy Director of Environment Promotion Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment | khaikeo5@gmail.com

Lien Le Thi Huong | Communications Officer, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office to Lao PDR | lien.lethihuong@un.org

Bounpone Sookmexay | Communications Officer, WWF | bounpone.sookmexay@wwf.org.la