CHICAGO, Ill.—February 15, 2008—World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials joined Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chicago business leaders to officially launch Chicago as the flagship U.S. city for Earth Hour 2008, a global event in which cities will voluntarily and safely turn out their lights to demonstrate concern about climate change.
At a Navy Pier ceremony, Mayor Daley, WWF Chief Scientist Eric Dinerstein, ComEd Executive Vice President Anne Pramaggiore, Leo Burnett Worldwide CEO Tom Bernardin and other civic and business leaders gathered to show the city’s support for Earth Hour, which will take place Saturday, March 29 at 8 p.m. (local time) in more than 20 cities around the world.
During Earth Hour, businesses and individuals will turn off their lights in a dramatic, highly symbolic gesture to demonstrate that by working together, people all around the world can make a difference in the fight against climate change. In addition to Chicago, participating cities include Bangkok, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Manila, Tel Aviv and Toronto.
“An important part of Chicago’s efforts to be the most environmentally-friendly city in the nation is to help our residents understand the impact climate change has on our city,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “Programs like Earth Hour 2008 reinforce our commitment to environmentally-friendly practices that will improve the quality of life for residents in Chicago and people around the world.”
“Chicago has proven it is a leader in environmental action, and the city’s participation as the flagship U.S. city will play a critical role in the global success of Earth Hour 2008 and in building public awareness about the risks our world faces due to climate change,” said WWF U.S. President and CEO Carter Roberts. “When the buildings in Chicago begin to darken, it will send a powerful message to the world that the residents of this great city stand united in seeking solutions to the threat of climate change.”
Dozens of organizations in and around Chicago have already pledged to participate in Earth Hour 2008 and spread the word to draw additional participants. Supporters to date include Broadway in Chicago, the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA), the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, Chicago Loop Alliance, Chicago Federation of Labor, Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus, Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, DePaul University, The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, United States EPA and many others.
To make Earth Hour a success, WWF and city of Chicago officials said they’ll be working over the coming weeks to turn off the lights at many of Chicago’s skyline buildings and famous landmarks, including Navy Pier’s Ferris Wheel, marquees at the Cadillac Palace Theatre and Ford Center for the Performing Arts and businesses along the Magnificent Mile.
Earth Hour is a completely voluntary program, so the city won’t go completely dark. Planners for the event have been working closely with city public safety officials and building engineers to ensure that while Chicago makes a dramatic statement with its lights out, it will do so safely. Street lights, lobby lights in public spaces, hospital lights and any lights deemed to impact public safety or vital services will remain on. It is also strongly recommended to use flashlights instead of candles during Earth Hour.
Earth Hour participants also will be encouraged to replace older light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescents and to pledge to take additional actions that will reduce their energy consumption in the year ahead.
“Global climate change impacts us all and ComEd is committed to arming our customers with information and tools to help them become smarter energy consumers,” said Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd executive vice president of customer operations, external and regulatory affairs. “ComEd is pleased to be an Earth Hour partner. This initiative is just one more way that we can educate people on steps they can take to change their energy usage habits.”
According to Chicago officials, Earth Hour is one more step in Chicago’s ongoing commitment to be the greenest city in the nation. Chicago has already demonstrated its dedication to fighting climate change through conserving and protecting its natural resources, promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles with residents, and leading by example by incorporating healthy environmental practices into the everyday work of government. Some examples include: promoting bike-friendly practices, adding hybrid buses to the city’s fleet and mass transit system, building green roofs, conserving water, planting trees and building “green” libraries, public schools and police stations.
Earth Hour 2008 comes just a year after the WWF’s inaugural Earth Hour took place Sydney, Australia where residents, businesses and prominent buildings across that city turned off their lights for 60 minutes in a joint effort to reduce energy consumption and make a statement about protecting the environment. More than two million people participated and major landmarks including the Opera House and Sydney Harbour turned its lights out.
In Chicago, World Wildlife Fund is coordinating Earth Hour 2008 through partnerships with the city of Chicago, ComEd, HP and Leo Burnett.
"Energy efficiency has always been important to our members—-it’s the right thing to do for the environment and it makes good business sense too," said Michael Cornicelli, executive vice president of the Building Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA). "Building owners have long known that small changes like turning off non-essential lighting when not in use can add up to big energy savings. We applaud World Wildlife Fund and the city of Chicago for finding a creative way to bring this important message to more people, whether they be building managers, business owners, or city
residents."
"Leo Burnett started our company in this great city over 70 years ago, so Earth Hour Chicago is particularly special to us,” Tom Bernardin, CEO, Leo Burnett Worldwide. “WWF U.S. and Mayor Daley and his team are true innovators and we are proud to work alongside them."
To register for Earth Hour or for more ideas about how to celebrate Earth Hour, visit www.earthhourus.org.
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World Wildlife Fund
For more than 45 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to five million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.
Leo Burnett
Award winning global communications network, Leo Burnett, headquartered in Chicago, is WWF’s partner in the Earth Hour initiative. Burnett has created the Global Earth Hour identity and a dedicated, holistic communications campaign, which harnesses the power of multi-media including online, interactive and outdoor.
Commonwealth Edison Company
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state’s population.
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