HOW-TO GUIDE TO TAKE ACTION ON AND BEYOND EARTH HOUR

Transcription

1 HOW-TO GUIDE TO TAKE ACTION ON AND BEYOND EARTH HOUR < for organizations, corporates, educational institutions and governments > CONTENTS: A. CARE AND CREATE AN IMPACT BY PARTICIPATING B. DARE THE WORLD TO SAVE THE PLANET - CREATE AN I WILL IF YOU WILL CHALLENGE - DO A LIGHTS OFF - DRIVE YOUR IMPACT C. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE APPENDIX: SAMPLE LETTERS AND S 1

2 Together, we can all turn the inspiration of one hour, into the actions of every hour Thank you for your interest in participating in this year s Earth Hour. Earth Hour 2012 broke all records to become the largest movement for the planet in human history, spanning 7,000 cities, 152 countries with a digital reach of 200 million. This How-To Guide empowers you to make a difference on and beyond one hour to reach out to the hundreds of millions of people within your community and the global Earth Hour communities. This is an opportunity for you to take action for the environment, inspire others with your action, spark off conversation and make real, lasting impact beyond the hour. Lead the way: Care + Dare + Share! 1. CARE: We believe that everyone has power to inspire people and make real change and impact in the world. 2. DARE: Every year, hundreds of thousands of businesses, governments and organizations have stepped forward to lead and make a contribution. Be a part of this planetary revolution. Engage and inspire your employees, customers, suppliers, clients, industry and communities all year round. 4. SHARE: We ll tell the world what you re doing. 5. It s simple, it s free, it s important. This year in particular, the I Will If You Will (IWIYW) challenge and global platform is an even greater opportunity for you to contribute to making real change and tangible impact among your communities, customers, cities, states, countries and indeed, collectively, the world. IWIYW is all about empowering individuals, businesses and organisations to become the point of inspiration for environmental action and real change. Anybody from a child in a classroom to a President of a country - can become the agent of inspiration to colleagues, employees, customers and communities all year round. The Power of I Will If You Will: In 2012, over 10,000 people and organisations created IWIYWs, posted them online and inspired 4.6 million people to interact with the challenges and 200,000 to accept challenges. Thousands more participated through Facebook and Twitter, creating an extraordinary level of interactivity in the community through classrooms, radio stations, large corporations, scout groups and even by cartoon characters. Join the revolution. The Power of LIGHTS OFF : Switch off the lights businesses for one hour to collectively say We Care and make the commitment take action and take better care of the planet in the year ahead. Earth Hour is a great opportunity for your organization or business to step forward and be a leader in your community. Together, let us make a difference on and beyond Earth Hour this year! Andy Ridley, Founder and CEO, Earth Hour and the Global Earth Hour team PartnershipsTeam@EarthHour.org 2

3 B. DARE THE WORLD TO SAVE THE PLANET 1. CREATE AN I WILL IF YOU WILL CHALLENGE 2. DO A LIGHTS OFF 1.1 WHAT IS AN IWIYW CHALLENGE? It s about you having the power to inspire people and make real change and impact in the world. Any environmental issue that you care about can be championed using an IWIYW challenge. It does not matter how big or small, all actions make a positive change in our world. For example, if you want to mobilize people behind forest conservation, you could pledge I WILL change all the lightbulbs in my house to LEDs IF 1,000 people WILL join a petition to save our forests. If children in a classroom want to make their school greener, they could say I Will plant 10 new trees in our school garden IF other classrooms plant 10 new trees too. Here are some actual examples: Greenpeace Executive Director Kumi Naidoo dyed his beard green 3

4 Scouts all around the world lead the way UNEP promised a 2.5 percent reduction in global emissions HSBC inspired their customers to save paper 4

5 1.2 HOW TO CREATE AN I-WILL-IF-YOU-WILL CHALLENGE STEP 1. CHOOSE A YOU WILL To create an effective and powerful challenge: ü Be actionable Choose something that is action-oriented. ü Be meaningful Does it apply to who you are challenging? ü Be simple -Can they realistically achieve the challenge? ü Be specific -Does it have a measurable outcome? Ideally, create a YOU WILL that extends beyond the hour into continuous action: Every week, every month, start a new routine and habit, make a permanent change. Use IWIYW to inspire and make real impact. For example, in Brazil, a YOU WILL could be signing a petition to protect the Amazon. For a city, it might be encouraging the public to use public transport at least once a week, instead of driving. For customers of bank, it might be challenging your customers to switch to paperless statements. For guests of a hotel, it might be asking your guests to turn off the air-con whenever they leave the room. If you are challenging your schoolmates, a YOU WILL could be to stop using plastic bags. Here are more examples: ü Join the global community and signup at EarthHour.org ü Do an I Will If You Will challenge themselves ü Switch to LED lights ü Commit to recycling ü Offset carbon emissions from flights Choose from a list of key You Wills on the platform If you are reaching out to more than 500 people in your organization/company/community, you have the exclusive option to create your own customized You Wills, contact us to do so at: PartnershipsTeam@earthhour.org 5

6 STEP 2. CHOOSE YOUR I WILL Once you have chosen your YOU WILL, be creative and inspiration for the I WILL part of your dare. The possibilities are endless. Choose something that is meaningful for you and resonates with who you are targeting. Some examples: Miranda Kerr loves yoga, so she chose to do the yoga class for her fans. A supermarket gives out discount coupons to customers who bring their own bags. A bar offers free drinks if diners take public transport instead of driving. A school pledges to change all its lights to LED if 1,000 students change to LED lights in their homes. Stretch your imagination, think about all resources, networks and influence that you have, and aspire to do an I WILL that excites and inspires people to act. challenge people to be daring too. Be daring, and You can make a huge impact. Look at what happened in Russia last year: 6

7 Your I WILL should: ü Be meaningful to both you and to whom you are challenging ü Be actionable Choose something action-oriented ü Be achievable Choose something that you are able to do ü Be tangible - Does it have demonstrable, visible outcome? Ideally, create an I WILL that Creates buzz and have the power and potential to take a life of its own, spread through word-of-mouth and go viral on the internet too. Goes beyond the hour into continuous action, for example: Every week, every month, drive commitments to permanent change. STEP 3. CREATE YOUR IWIYW Create your IWIYW challenge at: Watch this short How-To video: Tell us what you are doing and we ll share your challenge with the world. Use the IWIYW Stories form in the Organisations+Corporates section at and/or us at: PartnershipsTeam@earthhour.org 7

8 2. HOW TO DO A LIGHTS-OFF? 2.1 WHAT IS LIGHTS-OFF ABOUT? At 8.30pm on Saturday 23 March 2013, hundreds of millions of people across the globe will switch off the lights of homes and businesses for one hour Earth Hour, the largest environmental action in human history bringing our voices together to collectively say We Care and to make the commitment take action and take better care of the planet in the year ahead. Earth Hour is a great opportunity for your organization or business to step forward and be a leader of your community. It does not matter how big your business or organization is, every contribution is valuable and has the power to make a difference. Switch off the lights of your premises and encourage your staff, members and customers to participate in Earth Hour too. You are in a great position to take action and inspire more efforts that go beyond the hour by implementing practices and offering services that enable them to make ongoing changes. Join hundreds of thousands of committed businesses around the world in leading global environmental change. 2. HOW TO I DO A LIGHTS-OFF? Switch off non-essential lights on Saturday 23 March 2013 at 8:30pm. Make sure non-essential lights in your buildings, facilities and signage are switch off during Earth Hour from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on Saturday 23 March For larger buildings, plan ahead with facilities and building managers to manage the logistics of switching off nonessential lighting for Earth Hour including neon lights in and around your properties. Go beyond the hour with your organization and business practices Earth Hour is not just for one hour. It s about making a commitment to ongoing change that reduces your impact on the environment and celebrating your commitment to the planet with the people of the world during Earth Hour. Here are some of the ways you can start to reduce your impact on the planet today and reduce your operational costs at the same time: 8

9 Turning off lights after hours in offices or installing motion-sensor lighting Installing energy saving lights bulbs and devices (e.g. timers on lighting) Minimise printing and photocopying Do not print out s unless absolutely necessary Turning off printers, computers, monitors, microwaves and coffee machines at the!power points at the end of the day when unused for long periods (Could shave off 5% of your electricity bills) Providing and encouraging staff to use recycling facilities Switching your business electricity to Gold Standard Green Power Involve your staff in everyday change. Elect Earth Hour Monitors for your business,!whose job it is to ensure lights are out and appliances are off standby at the end of each working day.!when communicating with tenants, customers, other offices and staff, make sure they are aware that your involvement in Earth Hour symbolises your commitment to go beyond the hour with an action that benefits the environment.! C. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE Create excitement, energy and enthusiasm to inspire and engage get everyone in your circles and communities. Earth Hour is not just one hour in a year but a movement and call-to-action to spark change and make real impact in the world all year long, especially with IWIYW. Completed challenges from the likes of Miranda Kerr, Greenpeace, the President of Fiji, Pocoyo, HSBC, Scouts, and others keep the positive environmental messages, actions and impact happening throughout the year. ü Leverage and post on all your communication channels and platforms. ü Build support, ask your community to help make your challenge go viral. ü Keep your community updated on your progress, and continue to motivate them to take action and contribute. 9

10 For IWIYW: ü Each IWIYW challenge has its own unique weblink/url, so you can easily embed and promote your IWIYW on your own website and all your communication channels. ü Use video and photos to make your IWIYW visually engaging and exciting. Remember to use tags: Earth Hour, IWIYW, and your organization name. ü Use catchy tag-lines and call-to-actions such as: Dare the World to Save the Planet What Are You Willing To Do To Save The Planet? Turning The Inspiration Of One Hour Into The Actions Of Every Hour Taking The Passion Of Earth Hour, Beyond The Hour I Will If You Will ü Share your achievements with everyone. When you ve completed your Earth Hour Light s out and IWIYW challenges, make that an event in itself: Take videos and photos of your actions. For IYIYW, show that you ve fulfilled your challenge, ask those who accepted to keep their promises. Capture your content in as high-resolution as possible, ideally in Full High-Definition 1080p for video and 300dpi for photos. Get a quote, photo and video from your organization leader, CEO, President or principal, and and share this with us. ü Join the global Earth Hour community. Share your story with us at Earth Hour Global and we can highlight your achievements with the rest of the world through our global media channels and platforms. Contact us at: and/or at PartnershipsTeam@earthhour.org, CARE + DARE + SHARE Together, let us turn the inspiration of one hour, into the actions of every hour 10

11 Appendix 1. SAMPLE LETTERS AND S TO INSPIRE LIGHTS OFF. Message from Business to Business Dear [NAME OF OWNER OR MANAGER OF ANOTHER LOCAL BUSINESS OR COMPANY]: On Saturday 23 March 2013 at 8:30pm, [NAME OF YOUR COMPANY] and our employees will join hundreds of millions of people across the globe in switching off the lights of our business premises and our homes for one hour Earth Hour, the world s largest public environmental action. By taking part in this global LIGHTS OFF event we will be acknowledging our commitment to personal and operational actions that benefit the planet in the year ahead. We would like to invite you, as a respected organization, to join us in what promises to be an amazing and inspiring global celebration of our collective commitment to the planet. In the lead up to Earth Hour 2013, we at [YOUR COMPANY NAME] plan to take a close look at ways our company can operate more efficiently, waste less and reduce our environmental footprint not only in our own operations, but throughout our supply chain and we will share our operational changes with the world on as our commitment to go beyond the hour for Earth Hour. Sustainable practices aren t just good for the bottom line. We all have a stake in the future of our planet and must learn to operate in ways that don t deplete our world s limited natural resources. Participating in Earth Hour is a great way to show your customers and community that the people of [THEIR COMPANY NAME] genuinely care about their future and are showing leadership in finding solutions to our environmental challenges. Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people from more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries/territories across every continent switching off their lights for Earth Hour, creating history as the world s greatest ever environmental action. Some of the world s most famous man-made marvels and natural wonders, including China s Forbidden City, Eiffel Tower, Table Mountain, Great Pyramids of Egypt, Buckingham Palace, Brazil s Christ the Redeemer statue, Niagara and Victoria Falls, Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and many more global icons stood in darkness as a powerful symbol of landmark environmental action. Earth Hour 2013 will be even bigger. It is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every government throughout the world. It is a call to take responsibility for our environmental impact and join a growing international community who are committed to leading global environmental change. To get a better sense of the magnitude and inspiring nature of the event, please take a moment to watch the Earth Hour 2013 official video at 11

12 We hope you will join us in this important global initiative and encourage your own employees, customers and suppliers to switch off their lights for Earth Hour at 8.30pm on Saturday 23 March 2012 and make a commitment to an action that benefits the planet beyond the hour. Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and absolutely free. To get more information visit where you can sign up to switch off, share your action and celebrate with the people of the world your commitment to the one thing we all have in common the planet. Sincerely, [NAME OF SENDER BUSINESS OWNER] [TITLE] [NAME OF COMPANY] Message from Business to Non-commercial Customers Dear [CUSTOMER NAME]: On Saturday 23 March 2013 at 8:30pm, [NAME OF YOUR COMPANY] and our employees will join hundreds of millions of people across the globe in switching off the lights of our business premises and our homes for one hour Earth Hour, the world s largest public action for the environment. By taking part in this global LIGHTS OFF event we will be acknowledging our commitment to personal and operational actions that benefit the planet in the year ahead. We would like to invite you, as a valued customer, to join us in what promises to be an amazing and inspiring global celebration of our collective commitment to the planet. In the lead up to Earth Hour 2013, we at [COMPANY NAME] plan to take a close look at ways our company can operate more efficiently, waste less and reduce our ecological footprint not only in our own operations, but throughout our supply chain and we will share our operational changes with the world on as our commitment to go beyond the hour for Earth Hour Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people from more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries across every continent switching off their lights for Earth Hour, creating history as the world s greatest ever environmental action. Some of the world s most famous man-made marvels and natural wonders, including China s Forbidden City, Eiffel Tower, Table Mountain, Great Pyramids of Egypt, Buckingham Palace, Brazil s Christ the Redeemer statue, Niagara and Victoria Falls, Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and many more global icons stood in darkness as a powerful symbol of landmark environmental action. Earth Hour 2013 will be even bigger. It is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every government throughout the world. It is a call to take responsibility for our environmental impact and join a growing international community who are committed to leading global environmental change. To get a better sense of the magnitude and inspiring nature of the event, please take a moment to watch the Earth Hour 2013 official video at 12

13 We hope you will join us by turning off the lights of your home and making a commitment to go beyond the hour with a positive action for the environment in the year ahead. Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and absolutely free. To get more information visit where you can sign up to switch off, share your action and celebrate with the people of the world your commitment to the one thing we all have in common the planet. Sincerely, [NAME OF SENDER BUSINESS OWNER] [TITLE] [NAME OF COMPANY] LOCAL OFFICIAL TITLE OFFICE STREET ADDRESS City, State, ZIP Dear [INSERT NAME]: Message from Business to Local Government On Saturday 23 March 2013 at 8:30 p.m, hundreds of millions of people in more than 135 countries/territories across every continent will unite in a single moment of celebration and contemplation of the planet by switching off their lights for one designated hour Earth Hour. By taking part in this global LIGHTS OFF event they will be acknowledging their commitment to a personal action that benefits the planet in the year ahead. We at [COMPANY NAME] care very much about the future of our planet and are planning to participate in Earth Hour to acknowledge and celebrate our commitment to go beyond the hour by [insert any positive action your company is doing for the environment]. On behalf of [COMPANY NAME], I urge [NAME OF TOWN\COUNTY\CITY] to take part in Earth Hour 2013 and use the moment to acknowledge any initiative you have committed to for the year ahead that benefits the environment. By turning off all non-essential lighting controlled by [TOWN\COUNTY\CITY] during Earth Hour, committing to a positive action for the planet and encouraging our citizens to do the same, you will help lead the burgeoning global resolve to realize our role as custodians of the planet. Earth Hour also provides an excellent forum for all citizens, including business, individuals, parents and educators, to hold meaningful discussions about the ways that our community can take action and be part of the solution to our environmental challenges. Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people from more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries/territories across every continent switching off their lights for Earth Hour, creating history as the world s greatest ever environmental action. Some of the world s most famous man-made marvels and natural wonders, including China s Forbidden City, Eiffel Tower, Table Mountain, Great Pyramids of Egypt, Buckingham Palace, Brazil s Christ the Redeemer statue, Niagara and Victoria Falls, Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and many more global icons stood in darkness as a powerful symbol of landmark environmental action. 13

14 Earth Hour 2013 will be even bigger. It is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to take responsibility for our environmental impact and join a growing international community who are committed to leading global environmental change. To get a better sense of the magnitude and inspiring nature of this global event, please take a moment to watch the Earth Hour 2013 official video at We hope [NAME OF CITY] will join us by turning off the lights of [LOCAL LANDMARKS] and make a commitment to go beyond the hour with a positive ongoing action for the environment. A commitment to Earth Hour would enable all of us here in [NAME OF TOWN\COUNTY\CITY] to not only express our concern about the health of our local environment, but to let all the people of the world know that we stand with them in finding solutions to our environmental challenges and celebrating the one thing we all have in common the planet. Please visit for more information. Sincerely, COMPANY PRESIDENT/CEO From Corporation/Business to Employees Memo to All Employees of [COMPANY NAME] From [NAME OF CEO/CHAIRMAN] On Saturday 23 March 2012 at 8:30pm, [NAME OF YOUR COMPANY] will join hundreds of millions of people across the globe in switching off the lights of our locations and facilities across the (city/country/world) for one hour Earth Hour, the world s largest public action for the environment. By taking part in this global LIGHTS OFF event we will be acknowledging our commitment to personal and operational actions that benefit the planet in the year ahead. We would like to invite you, as a valued staff member, to join us in what promises to be an amazing and inspiring global celebration of our collective commitment to the planet. Our company believes that we have a responsibility to operate our business in a responsible manner and in ways that don t jeopardize the environment or deplete our world s limited natural resources. In the lead up to Earth Hour 2013, we plan to take a close look at ways our company can operate more efficiently, waste less and reduce our ecological footprint not only in our own operations, but throughout our supply chain and we will share our operational changes with the world on as our commitment to go beyond the hour for Earth Hour Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people from more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries/territories across every continent switching off their lights for Earth Hour, creating history as the world s greatest ever environmental action. Some of the world s most famous man-made marvels and natural wonders, including China s Forbidden City, Eiffel Tower, Table Mountain, Great Pyramids of Egypt, Buckingham Palace, Brazil s Christ the Redeemer statue, Niagara and Victoria Falls, Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and many more global icons stood in darkness as a powerful symbol of landmark environmental action. 14

15 Earth Hour 2013 will be even bigger. It is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every government throughout the world. It is a call to take responsibility for our environmental impact and join a growing international community who are committed to leading global environmental change. To get a better sense of the magnitude and inspiring nature of the event, please take a moment to watch the Earth Hour 2013 official video at Help us make sure the lights do actually go out at 8.30pm on March 23, by switching off all nonessential office lights and unplugging non-essential equipment before leaving the building on Friday 22 March 2012, the day before Earth Hour. In addition, we would like to encourage everyone to participate in Earth Hour by turning off their lights at home during the event. Share the moment with family and friends and consider how you can reduce your ecological footprint with a commitment to an action that benefits the planet beyond the hour. Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and absolutely free. To get more information visit where you can sign up to switch off, share your action and celebrate with the people of the world your commitment to the one thing we all have in common the planet. Sincerely, [NAME OF SENDER] [TITLE] [NAME OF COMPANY] Dear [NAME OF SUPPLIER]: Message from Business to Suppliers On Saturday 23 March 2012 at 8:30pm, [YOUR COMPANY NAME] and our employees will join hundreds of millions of people across the globe in switching off the lights of our business premises and our homes for one hour Earth Hour, the world s largest public environmental action. By taking part in this global LIGHTS OFF event we will be acknowledging our commitment to personal and operational actions that benefit the planet in the year ahead. We would like to invite you, as a valued business partner, to join us in what promises to be an amazing and inspiring global celebration of our collective commitment to the planet. In the lead up to Earth Hour 2013, we at [YOUR COMPANY NAME] plan to take a close look at ways our company can operate more efficiently, waste less and reduce our ecological footprint not only in our own operations, but throughout our supply chain and we will share our operational changes with the world on as our commitment to go beyond the hour for Earth Hour Sustainable practices aren t just good for the bottom line. We all have a stake in the future of our planet and must learn to operate in ways that don t deplete our world s limited natural resources. Dear (name of work colleague), From Employee to Employees 15

16 On Saturday 23 March 2012 at 8:30pm, [YOUR COMPANY NAME] will join hundreds of millions of people across the globe in switching off the lights of its business premises for one hour Earth Hour, the world s largest public environmental action. By taking part in this global LIGHTS OFF event [YOUR COMPANY NAME] will be acknowledging its commitment to operational actions that benefit the planet in the year ahead. I am proud to work for a company that is showing leadership in solutions to our environmental challenges and will join them in taking part in Earth Hour I would like to invite you, as a valued colleague, to join me and other staff members of [YOUR COMPANY NAME] in what promises to be an amazing and inspiring global celebration of our collective commitment to the planet. In the lead up to Earth Hour 2013, I plan to take a close look at ways I can waste less and reduce my ecological footprint both at home and in the workplace and will share my actions with the world on as my personal commitment to go beyond the hour for Earth Hour. Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative in Sydney, Australia in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people from more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries/territories across every continent switching off their lights for Earth Hour, creating history as the world s greatest ever environmental action. Some of the world s most famous man-made marvels and natural wonders, including China s Forbidden City, Eiffel Tower, Table Mountain, Great Pyramids of Egypt, Buckingham Palace, Brazil s Christ the Redeemer statue, Niagara and Victoria Falls, Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House and many more global icons stood in darkness as a powerful symbol of landmark environmental action. Earth Hour will be even bigger. It is a global call to action to every individual throughout the world to take responsibility for their environmental impact and join a growing international community who are committed to leading global environmental change. To get a better sense of the magnitude and inspiring nature of the event, please take a moment to watch the Earth Hour 2013 official video at I m excited about Earth Hour 2013, both as an employee of [YOUR COMPANY NAME] and as an individual. I hope you will join me and your colleagues in this important global initiative and encourage your family and friends to switch off their lights for Earth Hour at 8.30pm on Saturday 23 March 2013 and make a commitment to an action that benefits the planet beyond the hour. Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and absolutely free. To get more information visit where you can sign up to switch off, share your action and celebrate with the people of the world your commitment to the one thing we all have in common the planet. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] 16