Earth Hour 2023: a moment of solidarity for people and planet.
Since 2007 Earth Hour has shone a spotlight on the issues of climate change and nature loss having reached over 190 countries and territories and millions of people around the globe. Earth Hour has grown to become the world's largest grassroots movements for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in more than 190 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action.
Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, Earth Hour has strived to also bring the pressing issue of nature loss to the fore. The aim is to create an unstoppable movement for nature, as it did when the world came together to tackle climate change. The movement recognises the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive change.
WWF is warning that the next seven years are crucial for halting irreversible nature loss and climate change. This year’s Earth Hour, it says, is needed more than ever, to inspire millions more to act, and make millions more take notice. Earth Hour 2023 comes hot on the heels of the historic Kunming-Montreal Agreement at COP15, which in December last year committed the world to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. The next seven years are therefore crucial, for ensuring that the decade ends with more nature and biodiversity than when it began, not less, and that we stay under the 1.5°C climate threshold needed to avoid irreversible damage to our planet. Earth Hour is therefore needed more than ever, to inspire millions more to act, and make millions more take notice.
How you can Celebrate Earth Hour 2023
Here are some ideas on how you and your Scouts could celebrate Earth Hour this year
- Read this presentation to learn more about #EarthHour 2023: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r1daxtn6omh2nbe/CSO%27s%20Earth%20Hour%202023_Africa%2008%20March.pptx?dl=0
- Give an Hour for Earth at https://www.earthhour.org/take-part/give-an-hour
- Record the number of hours given by yourself, your Scout Group, your School, your community, your NSO/NSA or your country and share it with us at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1moIJFjhO-lVZOr3Swhi7ckRoVmpzeYldjtgE_TChiS4/edit?usp=sharing
- Register your #EarthHour event here https://www.earthhour.org/submit-event so that your event appears on the WWF global event listing page AND so that we can record your estimated number of participants. We will then add this to our global tally of hours.
- Subscribe to the #EarthHour Newsletter https://bit.ly/3SbqL46 and the Google Site http://bit.ly/3SckpBA for resources and so that you don’t miss out on anything.
Calendar of Regional Earth Hour Activities
- 23 March - Africa Earth Hour Media Event with WWF. Register here to attend: https://wwf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gIj9ZoAdTIibpRYkwafrjw
- 25 March - Scouts-WWF Africa #BiggestHourForEarth Virtual Event. Register here to attend: https://worldscouting.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMud-CqpjMsH9JM5UfO93AoVP9VTuqzpACh
- 27 March - Recap Story on How Scouts Celebrated Earth Hour 2023 in Africa
- 21 – 27 March - Social Media Promotion
Earth Hour 2023 Promotional Resources
This #EarthHour2023 we’d love for you to get involved. 
. We’re asking Scouts to spend their hour on 25 March @ 8:30PM local time, to learn about the Champions for Nature Challenge and how they can earn the badge!
We have put together some SCOUTS co-branded resources to help you and your Scouts organise and take action this Earth Hour. You can find assets in the Trello card below including translated captions in French!
https://trello.com/c/ZseZP1WI/31-%F0%9F%8C%9F-earth-hour-%F0%9F%8C%9F
Our Partners, WWF have also developed the following resources that you can utilise:
- Earth Hour Website where Scouts can log in their #EarthHour contributions: https://www.earthhour.org/take-part/give-an-hour
- Community Engagement Handbook with ideas on activities you can use to engage your community through #EarthHour events: https://www.earthhour.org/take-part/engage-your-community
- Education Pack for Children that you can use with your Scout group to celebrate #EarthHour: https://sites.google.com/wwf.panda.org/earthhour/asset-downloads/community-engagement-assets#h.ke6wpqt9nmph
- Zoom backgrounds to use for your virtual meetings and events this #EarthHour week: https://sites.google.com/wwf.panda.org/earthhour/asset-downloads/marketing-assets#h.mw71wxno0tdg
- Animated #EarthHour flip clock templates: https://sites.google.com/wwf.panda.org/earthhour/asset-downloads/social-assets_1#h.umwqz8454ath
You can also access these resources on this Dropbox Folder: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/oryv9wb712sddnm/AAAafaTC8JYESL9bI7e2p2jQa?dl=0
Share Your Story
We’d love to read, see and watch your stories on how how you celebrate #EarthHour this year.
- Post your written stories photos and videos on social media using the hashtags #EarthHour, #MyEarthHour, #BiggestHourForEarth, #ScoutingInAfrica, #Scouts and we’ll be able to track them.
- You can also share with us high resolution photos and videos on this Dropbox Folder: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/j5ogl5qxpar4dav188abu/h?dl=0&rlkey=tqo3grsbaebobvg6r76tthch2. Be sure to obtain permission from the people captured through these release forms for Individuals or crowds at events.
Contact Information
For any further queries please reach out to the following:
Nelson Opany,
Senior Manager, Communications and Partnerships,
World Scout Bureau Africa Support Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.
Email: [email protected] | Website: https://scout.org
Deborah Weber
Earth Hour Coordinator, Africa
WWF International, Johannesburg, South Africa
E-Mail: [email protected] | Website: https://africa.panda.org
