The City will be plunged into darkness on Saturday as some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks turn off their lights to raise awareness for climate change.
From 8:30pm, the Barbican Arts Centre, the Central Criminal Court, the City Corporation’s Guildhall headquarters, and the Mansion House will take fall dark in support of Earth Hour, the City of London Corporation has said.
Tower Bridge, which is managed by the City Bridge Foundation, of which the City Corporation is sole trustee, will join them.
LIGHTS OUT: The Barbican Art Centre will switch off its lights on Saturday 23 March.
Mary Durcan, chair of the corporation’s port health and environmental services committee, told City A.M: “We are proud to support Earth Hour again this year.
“Switching off some of the Square Mile’s most famous structures – even for just an hour – helps raise awareness of energy consumption, its impact on the environment and the very real issues facing our planet.”
She added: “The City Corporation can lead the way when it comes to climate change. We’ve recently been recognised as an ‘A-List climate action leader’ by the Carbon Disclosure Project and have been using 100 per cent renewable electricity since 2018.”
The organisation said it has also cut net carbon emissions by 66 per cent since 2018/19, and is on track to hit its target of achieving net-zero in its own operations by 2027.
Earth Hour is a global event and invites the public and organisations to switch off electricity for one hour to show support for the planet.
The WWF said: “Earth Day brings the world together, shines a spotlight on the climate and nature crisis, and inspires people to act and advocate for urgent change. “
“Earth Hour is your time to switch off and dedicate an hour to help bring our world back to life. “