Switch Off Lights to Give Earth One Hour on 22 March, Urges Secretary-General

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for Earth Hour, observed at 8:30 p.m. local time, on 22 March:

Earth hour is about solidarity, hope and the power of collective action.  Every year, millions of people turn off the lights to illuminate the need for climate action.  Today I ask that you are one of them.

Earth needs you.  Human-made climate calamity is here and now.

We’ve just had the hottest year, the hottest decade and the hottest seas on record.  And we’ve seen historic fires, storms and droughts as a result.

Moving away from polluting fossil fuels — the leading cause of this chaos — towards renewable power holds immense promise for us all — it’s healthier, cheaper and more secure.

So, please, join us — switch off your lights on 22 March at 8:30 p.m. local time.  Give an hour to Earth.  And use your power to push for a better world for us all.