Cape Town - Cape Town has been named South Africa’s Earth Hour capital.
The honour was awarded as part of the global Earth Hour City Challenge, a collaborative effort between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Local Governments for Sustainability, which aimed to reward cities prepared to make long-term efforts to combat climate change.
“We are exceptionally proud of Cape Town’s contribution to building a sustainable future that both protects the environment and improves the lives of citizens of South Africa,” said WWF-South Africa’s chief executive, Morné du Plessis.
Cape Town was one of 33 finalist cities competing for this year’s Global Earth Hour City title from among 163 entrants, six of them South African.
The jury selected the capitals from each of the 14 participating countries and will now look at each city’s information to identify the overall Earth Hour Capital.
The title will be awarded at the upcoming Earth Hour City Challenge Conference and Awards Ceremony in Vancouver, Canada.
Capetonians are encouraged to support their city through WWF’s We Love Cities social media campaign, which will run until March 20, at www.welovecities.org
Visitors to the website will be able to share their favourite aspects of their city via photos and videos and to submit suggestions for how the city can become even more sustainable.
Earth Hour 2014, during which everyone is encouraged to switch off all non-essential lights for an hour to symbolise commitment toward sustainability, is scheduled for March 29 from 8.30pm to 9.30pm during participants’ local time. – Cape Times