In support of the annual Earth Hour celebrated by millions worldwide, the City of Johannesburg plans to switch off lights of iconic buildings and landmarks for one hour from 8.30pm on 25 March.
Nico de Jager, the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, said in partnership with the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the City will switch off the lights in places such as Nelson Mandela Bridge and the Metro Centre.
“Earth Hour is an international symbolic show of unity in the fight against climate change and the City is urging residents to be mindful of their own carbon footprint. Together with GBCSA and the WWF, we are also challenging members of the South African Property Owners Association to switch off the lights in their buildings on Saturday evening,” the MMC said.
If every resident in Joburg turned off their lights during Earth Hour this year, the saving in respect of reduced energy usage would go a long way in reducing the City’s carbon footprint, de Jager added.
The City’s social media team is running an online competition to encourage City employees to take part in the campaign.
“I urge residents to go beyond just switching off their lights and appliances tomorrow evening. Implement energy-saving measures on a daily basis and spread awareness about opportunities for the conservation of our natural resources,” de Jager said.
Will you join? What will you switch off? Let us know by tweeting @randburg_sun tomorrow.
