Earth Hour | 30 Mar 2022

Why in News?

Every year on 26th March, people around the planet take an hour off electricity by switching off their lights at homes and offices as a show of support for conservation of energy during the World Earth Hour.

  • It has to be noted here that the Earth Hour is different from Earth Day (22nd April).

What is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature?

  • About:
    • It is the world’s leading conservation organisation and works in more than 100 countries.
  • Established:
    • It was established in 1961 and is headquartered at Gland, Switzerland
  • Mission:
    • To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
  • Other Initiatives of WWF:

What is an Earth Hour?

  • About:
    • Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in 2007.
    • It is held every year on the last Saturday of March.
    • It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.
    • The idea is to refrain from the use of non-essential lighting to save energy in a symbolic call for environmental protection.
  • 2022 Theme:
    • Shape Our Future

What are the Objectives and Significance?

  • Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature, tackling the climate crisis, and working together to shape a brighter future for humans.
  • It calls for the world to unite in a moment of solidarity for people and the planet.
  • The practice has become a catalyst for dramatic change and collective action towards protecting the environment.
  • The symbolic lights-out Earth Hour has become the world's largest grassroots movement to raise awareness about climate change and energy conservation and to assure a sustainable, brighter future.

What are the Major Indian Initiatives for Energy Conservation?

  • Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT): It is a market based mechanism to enhance the cost effectiveness in improving the Energy Efficiency in Energy Intensive industries through certification of energy saving which can be traded.
  • Standards and Labeling: The scheme was launched in 2006 and is currently invoked for equipment/appliances.
  • Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC): It was developed for new commercial buildings in 2007.
  • Demand Side Management: It is the selection, planning, and implementation of measures intended to have an influence on the demand or customer-side of the electric metre.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’: (2014)

  1. It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO.
  2. It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year.
  3. It is a movement to raise the awareness about the climate change and the need to save the planet.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (c)

Source: HT