WWF Earth Hour 2023 – Habits Protect Habitats

Posted on 26 March 2023

Lights-out in Hong Kong in support of sustainable development

In Hong Kong, nearly 4,000 companies, organisations and buildings supported Earth Hour
This year’s Earth Hour continues to spotlight wetlands and encourages the public to reflect our relationship with nature
Ambassadors Kay Tse, Stephy Tang, Kaho Hung, Sean Wong together with Go Green buddies LINE FRIENDS BROWN and CONY performed with All Star Academy a classic nursery rhyme “Childhood” to call for environmental protection for our future generations

WWF-Hong Kong celebrates Earth Hour 2023 tonight (25 March). Everyone came together to show their commitment towards addressing the climate crisis and the rapid loss of biodiversity on earth by switching off non-essential lights for one hour, starting from 8.30pm.

Earth Hour, organised by WWF, is one of the world’s largest collective environmental movements. The campaign aims to urge everyone to adopt zero-carbon lifestyle and take actions now to safeguard habitats and promote sustainable development.

In Hong Kong, Earth Hour 2023 lights-out was supported by nearly 4,000 companies, organisations and buildings, with celebrities Kay Tse, Stephy Tang, Kaho Hung, and Sean Wong as event ambassadors, as well as beloved global character LINE FRIENDS BROWN and CONY as WWF-Hong Kong’s Go Green Buddy to call for everyone’s action to change the way we live and protect wetland resources, for our habitats and for our future generations.

WWF was honoured to have Ms Diane Shuk-Han WONG, JP, Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology; Mr. Pak-wai CHAN, JP, Director of the Hong Kong Observatory; Mr Dan Bradshaw, Chairman of WWF-Hong Kong; and WWF, to officiate Earth Hour 2023 and encourage the public to rethink our relationship with nature and reflect on ways to protect our planet.

Mr Dan Bradshaw, Chairman of WWF-Hong Kong, welcomed guests to the event with a message, “2023 marks the 15^th consecutive year that Hong Kong has taken part in Earth Hour. We are happy to witness the lights-out moment with everyone and encourage the public to make change for our planet. This year, we are celebrating the 40^thanniversary of Mai Po Nature Reserve, we hope to raise awareness on wetland conservation. Wetlands provide vital ecosystem function and also serve as important nature-based solutions to many of today’s pressing environmental issues. We hope everyone can join us to change habits and protect our wetlands.”

Speaking at the ceremony, the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the HKSAR Government, Ms Diane Wong, remarked that, “Not only are wetlands cradles of biological diversity supporting countless fauna and flora, they also perform vital functions including water storage, flood control, erosion control, shore stabilization, water purification and climate stabilization, which are closely related to our daily lives. Thus, safeguarding wetlands equates protecting human lives. There are over 6,000 hectares of inland wetlands in Hong Kong, mainly located in the New Territories North West. To achieve the vision of co-existence of development and conservation, the government strives to take measures to enhance efforts in conserving ecologically important wetlands in the Northern Metropolis and to create an optimal environment for sustainable development. Protecting precious wetland ecosystems and strengthening climate resilience is a long-term and continuous endeavour that requires collaboration among different stakeholders in the society. We are pleased to see the full support for this event from various organisations, and their joint efforts in and contribution to promoting wetland conservation.”

Prior to the event, Sean Wong joined BROWN and CONY from WWF's Go Green Buddy LINE FRIENDS to explain the importance of nature conservation through a fun story. Event ambassadors Kay Tse, Stephy Tang, and Kaho Hung also shared their tips on how to live a sustainable lifestyle and highlighted the importance of wetland conservation. Three of them then played an interactive game with the audience about environmental protection. All ambassadors joined All Star Academy and performed a classic nursery rhyme Childhood (小時候) to conclude the event.

An array of landmarks and iconic buildings turned their lights off to support Earth Hour, including the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsing Ma Bridge, International Finance Centre, International Commerce Centre, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Hong Kong Observation Wheel, Central and Queensway Government Offices, the Legislative Council complex, and the West Kowloon Cultural District. The daily harbour front light show “The Symphony of Lights” was also suspended for Earth Hour.

In addition to the lights-out event on 25 March, WWF has pursued partnerships with multiple organizations, including:

St. James’ Settlement Green Social Enterprise – Green Ladies and Green Little to encourage everyone to donate unwanted clothes and promote sustainable fashion. This initiative is supported by MTR Hong Kong, who provided collection points;
Food Angel to prepare meals at their Sham Shui Po centre, using mullet fish sourced near Mai Po by Yeung’s Marine Products;
RWA Cycling Foundation to host a cycling tour within the Northern Metropolis to encourage green transport and raise awareness of the importance of wetland conservation.

These efforts aim to educate the public about actionable ways to protect the environment.

Lights-off Ceremony

Victoria Harbour

WWF Earth Hour 2023 – Habits Protect Habitats

Lights-out in Hong Kong in support of sustainable development

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