Posted on March, 27 2024

Millions of people around the world once again united for Earth Hour – the 18th since its launch in 2007 − in support and celebration of our planet to create the Biggest Hour For Earth. 

This year’s Earth Hour on Saturday 23 March once again served as a much needed beacon of positivity, hope and inspiration in an increasingly divided world as it rallied millions, bringing old and new supporters to the cause. 

In addition to its symbolic lights-off moment, Earth Hour invited everyone, everywhere – particularly people who haven’t engaged before with the movement – to unite and find ways to ‘give an hour for Earth’, all the while doing the things they love.

People registered their contributions through Hour Bank, an interactive online platform that aims to make environmentalism accessible, fun and personally meaningful. 

As of today, supporters from more than 180 countries and territories have contributed over 1.4 million hours.

This included giving more than 208,000 hours to reconnecting with nature through their love of fitness, outdoor and arts; over 248,000 hours to restoring our environment with their love for food and sustainability; over 703,000 hours to learning more about our planet through edutainment; more than 261,000 hours to inspiring others; and close to 45,000 hours to other creative ways to care for our planet.

Global contributions

Key public figures participated in Earth Hour, including UN Secretary General António Guterres; Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge; Colombian actor and influencer Sebastian Villalobos; Colombian model and presenter ⁠Claudia Bahamon; K-pop Super Junior Choi Siwon; Hollywood actress Kate Walsh; and Bollywood actress Ananya Panday. Other notable supporters included Chinese actor Zhu Yilong; former Cameroonian professional footballer Roger Milla; world renowned table tennis Olympian Deng Yaping; ⁠Paris Saint-Germain football club; United Nations Environment Programme; and many more.

Across the world, a host of global landmarks took part in Earth Hour’s iconic switch-off moment including: the Sydney Opera House, Tokyo Tower, China's Ordos City, Beijing National Stadium, Taipei 101, skyline of Hong Kong Victoria Harbour, Namsan Seoul Tower, Shah Faisal Mosque, India Gate, London Eye, Colosseum, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Brandenburg Gate, Eiffel Tower, Middle of the World Monument, Empire State Building, Niagara Falls, UN Headquarters and many more.

This year’s Biggest Hour For Earth was also made possible with partners and supporters worldwide, including, in particular, its first-ever international corporate partner Epson Seiko, for its ‘Saving Energy − it’s a simple switch’ Earth Hour sub-campaign, World of Scouting Movement and many other global collaborators such as Unsplash, Pocoyo and YMCA.

Once again WWF national offices around the world were instrumental in this year’s Earth Hour success, organizing a very large variety of Earth Hour activities that encouraged people to get involved.    

Kirsten Schuijt, WWF International Director General, said: “As Earth Hour comes to a close, we reflect on the incredible impact of millions uniting to champion our planet's health. To truly unite millions across the globe, our priority is that Earth Hour expands beyond its already massive pool of current supporters and engages with individuals who have not been involved yet. 

“Protecting our planet is a shared responsibility and it demands collective action from every corner of society. Together, we've ignited a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards a sustainable future.“

Earth Hour will take place next year at 8.30 pm local time on Saturday 22 March.