UN Climate Change Conference Dec 07 - 18, 2009
LET'S TURN COPENHAGEN INTO HOPENHAGEN
11 December 2009 [Copenhagen]:
On Wednesday 16 December at 19:00 (CET), the one million citizens of Copenhagen will represent the 6.8 billion citizens of the world in switching off their lights for Earth Hour Hopenhagen.
Building on Earth Hour 2009 (28 March), when hundreds of millions of people in over 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries throughout the world voted Earth over Global Warming with their light switch Earth Hour Hopenhagen will bring together the efforts of both Earth Hour and Hopenhagen to present united action that sends a resounding message throughout the world – the time to act on global warming is now.
With a global movement of more than 1.7 million citizens, Hopenhagen’s partnership with Earth Hour is a new collaboration which is indicative of the global solidarity building unparalleled momentum at this historic time in the host city of the UN Climate Conference.
Earth Hour Executive Director, Andy Ridley says the Earth Hour Hopenhagen partnership represents the true nature of the world’s citizens calling together for action on climate change.
Gitte Seeberg, CEO WWF Denmark, says it is only natural that Earth Hour Copenhagen becomes Earth Hour Hopenhagen.
“On December 16, in the hour that we turn off the lights, we cross our fingers and hope that they come up with a sustainable solution at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen. We look forward to our great event on the city hall square when Copenhageners turn off the lights and we know that they are turning off the lights at the Bella Centre. With a backing as strong as this we are sending a clear signal,” she says.
Hopenhagen ambassador and U.S. actor Bradley Whitford, is looking forward to unite the hopes at the stage at Earth Hour Hopenhagen.
“The purpose of Hopenhagen is to mobilise the hope as much as possible; we believe that hope makes a difference. Hopenhagen is open to everyone and we believe that it is a strong statement to make Earth Hour Copenhagen into Earth Hour Hopenhagen,” says Lotte Hansen, Director of Public Affairs at the Communications Agency, Mannov, who is responsible for the Hopenhagen campaign in Denmark.
WHAT:
Earth Hour Hopenhagen will hold a spectacular event inspired by COP15 in the City Hall Square plunging the entire square into darkness
WHO:
Popular Danish actor Ken Vedsegaard, Chinese superstar Li Bingbing, pop vocalists Ida Corr and Simon Mathew, The Storm, Alien Beat Club, U.S. actor Bradley Whitford, mayors from cities around the world and more.
WHERE:
City Hall Square / Hopenhagen Live
WHEN:
Wednesday 16 December 2009. Official lights-out ceremony begins at 19:00 with a countdown at 18:59.
The pivotal moment of the evening will see world leaders presented with The People’s Orb – a shimmering 20cm silver metal sphere encasing a 350 gigabyte hard drive containing individual expressions of hope from around the world. This stunning symbol of global unity has been relayed across the world collecting hundreds of millions of stories, voices, images and action of everyday people, creating a mosaic of human expression calling on world leaders to take definitive action on climate change.
For more information:
For interviews with Andy Ridley, Earth Hour Executive Director please contact Kirsten Hodgon onEarth Hour’s Vote Earth campaign builds on the call for action on climate change provided by millions of people, companies and communities during Earth Hour. The campaign aims to provide a platform for the people of the world to deliver world leaders a mandate for the right decision to be made at the United Nations Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009. Find out more about the campaign at www.earthhour.org Earth Hour’s Vote Earth is organised by WWF.
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
Hopenhagen (www.hopenhagen.org) is a grassroots movement inspiring citizens around the world to unite in hope for meaningful action at COP15 and beyond to combat climate change. Citizens can register online at www.hopenhagen.org and voice their individual hope for a better world. A diverse and complementary team of communication agencies have volunteered time, resources and dedicated team members to develop and execute the Hopenhagen campaign, which supports the UN’s “Climate Change” petition.