- Earth Hour 2021 is set to shine the spotlight on the perilous state of the planet, calling for urgent action to set nature on the path of recovery
- To help spark millions of conversations this Earth Hour, support from the government, celebrities, corporates, individuals is called for
- ‘Speak Up for Nature with Shantanu Moitra’ will see a host of celebs like Dia Mirza, Papon, Shreya Ghoshal and others
The event, ‘Speak Up for Nature with Shantanu Moitra’ would be the first of the Virtual Spotlight on Earth Hour day, 27th March 2021, between 8:30 pm-9:30 pm on WWF India Facebook page. Conversations around nature and conservation by guests like Dia Mirza, Papon, Dhritiman Mukherjee, Saiyami Kher, Ambi Subramaniam, Bindu Subramaniam, Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Swanand Kirkire, Shreya Ghoshal will bring everyone on a common platform to rise and Speak Up for Nature. The event hosted by Hope and Harmony Ambassador of WWF India and celebrated music composer, Shantanu Moitra, will play a key role to promote the need for protecting our planet. The essence of interaction this Earth Hour would be different due to the absence of physical gatherings. Still, virtually the reach will be wider and more accessible to everyone.
Talking about the event, Shantanu Moitra states, “The contributions of our guests who have agreed to come together to initiate conversations around Earth Hour will be pivotal to spread awareness about the message by speaking up for Nature.” He further adds, “We have to co-exist if we want to live long and healthy. We need to take cues from Nature and take small steps which can go a long way in conservation, most importantly, the act of caring for our planet.”
India, the 7th largest country globally, is home to a treasure trove of incredible wildlife and is a biodiversity hotspot. As the country embarks on the path of rapid development, India's wildlife, charismatic landscapes, and biodiversity face the constant threat of degradation and fragmentation.
Highlighting the importance of Earth Hour in the post-Covid scenario, Mr. Ravi Singh, Secretary-General and CEO of WWF India said, “This Earth Hour, I would encourage citizens to Speak Up for Nature and lend their support as we strive for a greener, sustainable and a healthier planet.”
Earth Hour marks a pivotal opportunity for civil society organisations, citizens, nation heads, CEOs and environmentalists to call on world leaders for setting nature on a path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of all people and the planet. This year Earth Hour will reach out to the audience with its message in 7 languages and urge them to do their bit, as every action, big or small, adds up and makes a difference for our collective home. In addition, a 5-day challenge (#iMeanGreen) will engage individuals at all levels, sharing simple yet impactful tips to live more sustainably, preserve the planet’s biodiversity, and fight against climate change.
WWF India’s Philanthropy Ambassadors have also come together for Earth Hour to spread the message far and wide by speaking up for nature:
Deep Kalra, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, MakeMyTrip, says, "A crisis in the form of a pandemic can be turned into an opportunity to create the greatest value. This year, Earth Hour should be seen as an opportunity to ask ourselves about one old habit that we can drop that harms nature."
“By creating awareness about conservation, we can help move towards a goal of reducing environmental footprint. But we can’t do it alone - It’s time we all stand together and Speak Up for Nature loud and clear this Earth Hour”, expressed Rishabh Shroff, Partner, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas
Madhura Visweswaran, Co-Founder of the Redwood Montessori School Llp, & The Redwood Montessori Foundation highlights that "Earth Hour should be seen as an opportunity that extends beyond just a symbolic one and children should be actively involved as they are the real agents of change and environment, climate change, wildlife should be a central part of their curriculum.”
Upasana Kamineni Konidela, Vice Chairperson CSR, Apollo Hospitals, Managing Director of Apollo Life adds, “The pandemic has made us reconnect & realise the value of protecting our planet. According to me humans must evolve to be able to adopt Earth Hour every minute to focus on the change of behaviour towards nature."
“The smallest actions have the power to restore the balance between humans and the planet. I ask every child and youth to steer a change in their house, adopt pro-conservation attitudes, and foster green habits among families”, urges Viswanathan Anand, Indian chess grandmaster and Environment Education Ambassador, WWF India.
Earth Hour, the largest global grassroots movement for the environment, every year brings together millions of people, businesses and leaders from around the world to shine a spotlight on the urgent need to address nature loss and climate change. Earth Hour 2021, is ably supported by corporates and business giants like Flipkart Group, BSES Discoms, Sony India, TCS, Pernod Ricard India, Sodexo Benefits & Rewards Services India, The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), The Imperial, DCB Bank, Raymond, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Woodland, lending their weight to speak up for nature.
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Notes to Editors:
Link to Earth Hour site:
Hear out the Secretary-General and CEO, WWF India
Watch the Earth Hour Video
Link to Earth Hour photos
For more information, please contact:
Komal Chaudhary | Senior Manager- Media & PR, WWF India| +91 8010876699 | kchaudhary@wwfindia.net
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is WWF's flagship global environmental movement. Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the world's largest grassroots movements for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in more than 180 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action for over a decade. 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.
