WWF’s Earth Hour started in Sydney in 2007 as a citizen initiative to demand action on climate change and has grown to become the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment in the years since. In 2015, Earth Hour spans more than 7,000 cities in 172 countries and territories, uniting individuals, communities, companies and governments to drive awareness and action on climate through the year, harnessing the power of the crowd to achieve tangible environmental impact.

WWF has increased the profile of ocean conservation this year, particularly the importance of conserving marine habitats for food security and livelihoods. WWF has played the lead role in making the ocean’s economic value, the threats to it, and the solutions to revive it, one of the strong, persistent stories of 2015. The campaign delivered world-first analyses in landmark reports that drew major global media and social media attention, reaching many millions. The reports’ messages have been quoted by policymakers, opinion-shaping institutions and eminent scientists. It is now common to read of the ocean being the world’s seventh biggest economy, worth at least US$2.5 trillion a year and that about half of the world’s marine species populations have been lost in 40 years.