China, India and Emerging Countries Lead the Call for Action on Climate Change

Friday, 27 March 2009 10:33

• Shanghai, New Delhi Government on board for Earth Hour.
• Beijing the first city to conduct Earth Hour rehearsal.
• Bollywood star Aamir Khan lends voice to global call for action on climate change.

On March 28, China, the world’s fastest developing economy, will signal to the rest of the world its readiness to address the issue of climate change. Organisers have already conducted a rehearsal to ensure that at 8.30pm the lights will go dark for Earth Hour on the Bird’s Nest Stadium, the Water Cube, Ling Long Tower and Pangu Plaza in Beijing. The Shanghai Government has officially announced its formal participation in Earth Hour 2009 and committed to turning out all municipal and district government office buildings. The Oriental Pearl Tower and the 492m high Shanghai World Financial Center will also go dark.

Countries with developing and emerging economies have emerged as the driving force behind the tremendous growth in this year’s campaign. Of the 83 countries currently participating in Earth Hour 2009, there are 47 with developing and emerging economies, up from the nine that took part last year. India, the world’s second most populated country with the second fastest growing economy, will join Earth Hour’s global call for action on climate change for the first time.

The Government of Delhi is officially supporting Earth Hour and has starting appealing to citizens in leading national newspapers to turn off their lights on March 28. Bollywood star Aamir Khan has thrown his support behind the campaign saying “a failure to come to sound policy outcomes on climate change will not only have a negative environmental impact but also social and economic consequences for all of us.”

Participation in Earth Hour will be widespread throughout India, with activities taking place in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Dehradun, Shimla, Chandigarh and Hyderabad. Students and educational institutions are showing tremendous support for Earth Hour in India. Mumbai’s best known landmarks, Reserve Bank and Air India buildings, and Indian Tourism Development Corporation’s flagship Ashok Hotel, are stated to switch off as will hundreds of other buildings across the city, including the offices of Indian IT giants like WIPRO and Infosys.

WWF's Global Climate Initiative China Director Ms. Yanli Hou said the strong support for Earth Hour in China and India is undermining one of the central arguments used in parts of the developed world to resist taking strong action on climate change."For too long people have been saying that they can't tackle climate change until China and India do so too. The success of Earth Hour shows that the people of these countries are in fact ready and willing to take the lead on climate change," said Ms Hou.

Other major cities in emerging and developing countries that are participating in Earth Hour include Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Beunos Aires, Jakarta, Istanbul, Seoul, Mexico City and Manila. “The role of developing economies is crucial to addressing the issue of climate change, particularly considering the UN Climate Change Conference is taking place later this year in Copenhagen. “If the developing world shows a commitment to sustainable economic development, leaders of developed nations will be obliged to follow their direction,” said Mr Ridley.

(Source: Earth hour)