In response to the global Earth Hour campaign, which will take place on the evening of  March 23, Hanoi authorities are planning activities to raise environmental awareness among the community.  

Children in play. Photo: earthour.org

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in coordination with the World Wide Fund for Nature in Vietnam (WWF-Vietnam), are calling on the Vietnamese to join hands in reducing their carbon footprint to achieve net-zero emissions.

Accordingly, the Hour Bank was recently launched with the expectation of receiving at least 10,000 hours of support for the earth from the Vietnamese people. Vietnamese are encouraged to donate as many hours as possible and register them in an online tally at HOUR BANK | WWF (panda.org).

Users can participate in some or all of the activities in six areas, including food, sport and health, entertainment, art and creativity, sustainability and nature. Through healthy hobbies and daily lifestyles, individuals can help spread positive messages about environmental protection to the community.

"The annual Earth Hour event gives everyone a chance to reflect on the harm we are doing to the planet. Everyone on the globe should do practical things to protect our only common home: the Earth," said Nhung Pham, Climate and Energy Lead, WWF-Vietnam.

Launching ceremony of Earth Hour Campaign 2024 at the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Photo: moit.gov.vn

In addition, "Save Viet Nam - We Are One", an environmental volunteer club at the Hanoi-based Vietnam Vinasep Quality and Environment Certification Joint Stock Company, launched a campaign to encourage people to take part in three challenges: using stairs, turning off the power when not in use, and turning off the screen when not being watched.

The challenge has attracted many participants from Hanoi's Hoang Mai and Thanh Xuan districts, with 700 people signing up in three days. So far, 500 office workers have taken up the challenge to turn off their desktop screens when not in use.

Earlier, nearly 1,500 people took part in a running event in support of the Earth Hour 2024 campaign in Hanoi on March 16.

The initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade aimed to motivate and encourage the participation of government agencies, organizations, enterprises and individuals to practice electricity saving on a regular basis, 365 days a year, making it a habit anytime, anywhere.

The ministry also launched an online running event through Uprace - a sports training application - from 16 to 31 March.

People participating in the Race for Earth Hour. Photo: moit.gov.vn

This is the 14th year that Vietnam has participated in Earth Hour to highlight energy conservation and raise public awareness about environmental protection and climate change.

By turning off the lights for one hour from 8:30 pm on March 25 in response to the 2023 Earth Hour campaign, Vietnam saved 298,000 kWh of electricity, equivalent to about VND555.6 million or US$23,617, according to the National Load Dispatch Center of Vietnam Electricity (EVN).

An annual tradition started by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 to raise awareness about climate change, Earth Hour has become one of the world's largest grassroots environmental movements.

Earth Hour has inspired and empowered individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in 7,000 cities and towns in 190 countries and territories to take action against climate change and environmental degradation every year on the last Saturday of March.