Earth Hour challenge: can Hongkongers reduce their energy usage by just 1 per cent for the coming year?
Energy-hungry city has seen consumption levels rise 3.2 per cent in recent years, as event organisers urge residents to go green beyond just dimming the lights
As some Hongkongers on Saturday observed Earth Hour 2018, a challenge was sounded for the city to reduce its reliance on energy by 1 per cent till next year’s instalment of the global climate change awareness campaign.
The first-ever citywide energy reduction challenge was unveiled by local organisers of the lights-out event – part of a worldwide movement where buildings go dark to promote sustainable consumption.
Electricity usage across the city last year jumped to an all-time high. Environmentalists believed Earth Hour, which took place in Hong Kong for the 10th time, was more important than ever.
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WWF-Hong Kong chairman Edward Ho, said city residents should aim to cut their energy usage by 1 per cent for the next 12 months. This could be done through efforts such as using air conditioners less often and using more energy-efficient household appliances.
The theme for this year’s campaign, “lights out, lights off, let nature shine”, centred on the effects of climate change and the importance of living sustainably – beyond just turning off the lights.
WWF-Hong Kong CEO Peter Cornthwaite called the event “a moment in time when we are getting people’s attention, so we have to ask what we must do to go beyond [current efforts].
The one hour is a symbolic gesture of people committing to change their lives
“The one hour is a symbolic gesture of people committing to change their lives.”