Virtual Earth Hour 2020 Celebration Calls For Urgent Action For Planet

In the midst of global COVID-19 health crisis, Earth Hour 2020 was celebrated as a moment of solidarity for the planet as global communities got united and organized events digitally on Saturday

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2020 ):In the midst of global COVID-19 health crisis, Earth Hour 2020 was celebrated as a moment of solidarity for the planet as global communities got united and organized events digitally on Saturday.

Pakistan commemorated Earth Hour 2020 completely online and the virtual events were observed in different cities across the country under the auspices of World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF-Pakistan), a press release said.

Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan, said,"We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives from the COVID-19 outbreak and our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones or who are sick. In this hour of crisis, we acknowledge the need for urgent action and the need to unite now more than ever to safeguard our future and the future of our planet. It is a time for solidarity and a time to respond to challenges more creatively and work more collaboratively, which is why Earth Hour is being marked through digital events across the globe." Anoushay Ashraf, WWF's goodwill ambassador said people-led initiatives around the world like Earth Hour were vital to continue to inspire awareness on the importance of nature and prompt action to help deliver a nature-positive world by the end of the decade.

She reiterated that the current Coronavirus pandemic, massive Amazon rainforest fires and Australian bushfires call for an immediate action to reverse this huge loss.

Ali Rehman, actor and WWF goodwill ambassador in his message said, "Earth Hour gives people an opportunity to go beyond the usual limitations and look at the bigger picture before them." "We must all come together to work for a better and healthy environment and take every possible effort to tackle the threats faced by the Earth," he added.

To conserve energy and show commitment towards Earth, non-essential lights in homes and other buildings were switched off between 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Through symbolic candle-lightening events, WWF-Pakistan's goodwill ambassadors, environmentalists and passionate citizens pledged their support for nature and people. This Earth Hour provided a platform for online conversations about the loss of nature and 'why nature matters' to the people.

With nature loss continuing unabated, Earth Hour 2020 drew attention to the immediate need to halt nature and biodiversity loss for human health and well-being. The global moment came ahead of events where world leaders were scheduled to take critical decisions on nature, climate change and development. These have now been postponed. Earth Hour marked a pivotal opportunity for civil society members, citizens, nation heads, CEOs and environmentalists to demonstrate the need for a new deal for nature and people by pledging their support atand raising their voice for the planet.