Some of the City’s most iconic landmarks will be turning off their lights for an hour this Saturday, as part of the World Wide Fund for Nature’s worldwide environmental movement Earth Hour.

At 8.30pm the City of London Corporation will be switching off at the Barbican Arts Centre, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the Old Bailey, Guildhall, the Monument, Tower Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and The Mansion House for one hour to support the campaign.

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the WWF. The event is held every year encouraging people, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on a specific day in March, as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

It began as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Since then, it has grown to include more than 7,000 cities and towns across 187 countries and territories to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment.

Jeremy Simons, Chair of the City of London Corporation’s Environmental Services Committee, said:

“We are proud to support Earth Hour again this year and highlight the very real issues facing our planet.

“We want to join WWF and the millions of people across the world to raise awareness of energy consumption and the effects on the environment.

“Together we can help reduce our impact on the natural world and we want to encourage others in the City to do their bit.”

To make a pledge for Earth Hour, or to find out more, visit www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour

ENDS

Media Enquiries

Kristina Drake

Media Officer, City of London Corporation

Kristina.Drake@cityoflondon.gov.uk

07710860884 / 020 7332 1125

Notes to editors

About the City of London Corporation:

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK.

www.cityoflondon.gov.uk 

The City Corporation is backing the Mayor of London’s proposals to improve London's air quality, including the early introduction of an ultra-low emission zone that would impose new charges on the dirtiest vehicles, new green bus routes, and additional funding for local projects designed to tackle air pollution

The Governing Body expects to see improvements as a result of these measures, and is also seeing progress locally in the Square Mile as a result of its own fight back against air pollution

The City Corporation recently banned the purchase of diesel vehicles for its own fleet of over 300 vehicles

It recently announced plans for a London-wide crackdown on drivers who leave their engines idling, following a series of successful trials in the City of London

And last year the City Corporation agreed a deal with Addison Lee - London’s biggest private hire taxi firm - to automatically switch hybrid taxis to ‘electric mode’ in key areas of the Square Mile

It has also created a ‘City Air App’, which gives low pollution travel routes to over 15,000 Londoners, introduced a City-wide 20mph zone, and our new procurement rules have brought in tight restrictions on harmful emissions from bulldozers and generators