WWF India and MoEFCC mark Earth Hour 20th anniversary with nationwide awareness drive

Key facts

• WWF India and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organised Earth Hour outreach in Gwalior on 28 March.
• Activities were held under WWF-India’s Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP).
• Nameeta Prasad, Joint Secretary, MoEFCC, and Lipika Roy, Joint Director, attended the programme.
• Trainees of the Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) on “Nature Conservator cum Eco-Tourism Guide” participated.
• An awareness campaign and exhibition took place at The Scindia School, Gwalior.
• The initiative continued at Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Gwalior, with Dr. Chandra Shekhar Barua present.
• Lights were symbolically switched off from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to promote energy conservation.
• Earth Hour began in 2007 and now spans over 190 countries.
• In India, activities include clean-up drives, tree plantation, biodiversity walks, cycling campaigns and sustainability workshops.
• Dr. G. Areendran, Director – Tech for Conservation, WWF-India, stressed youth engagement and capacity building.
• Students from more than 15 States and Union Territories conveyed Earth Hour messages and pledged sustainable lifestyles.
• GSDP students nationwide joined the unified switch-off to support Mission LiFE and the Save Energy theme.
• Iconic monuments, heritage sites and government buildings across India switched off lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.