People around the world switch off lights for Earth Hour

Agencies | Wellington

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Despite coronavirus restrictions, people around the world went dark for Earth Hour on Saturday to bring light to the issue of climate change.

The global climate change event encourages nations to turn off their lights for an hour at 8:30 pm local time, according to the Deutsche press agency (dpa).

New Zealand was the first to do so, with Auckland's Sky Tower and Wellington's parliament buildings switching off at 8:30 pm (07:30 GMT).

In Germany, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate was shrouded in darkness, while Paris' Eiffel Tower and the Vatican's Saint Peter's Basilica also hit the switch. Other cities that participated included Singapore, Tokyo, Moscow and Sydney with its famous opera house.

Many citizens also took part in the event called by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), switching off the lights in their homes.

"#EarthHour reminds us that small actions can make a great difference for our planet," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.

"With Earth Hour, millions of people around the world show that we have to do more against the climate crisis and for a planet that is alive," said Marco Vollmar of WWF Germany.

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Australia, with 190 countries and territories taking part in the initiative in 2020.