A photo of earth taken from space.
A photo of earth taken from space.

Switch off and join in with Earth Hour

Intro

Between 8.30pm - 9.30pm on Saturday 25 March, UWL will be switching off non-essential lighting across all our campuses as we join in with Earth Hour.

Main body

Student sitting on a bench

Earth Hour is one of the world’s largest movements for nature. Coordinated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), it is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on nature loss and climate change, and the need to work together to secure a brighter future for people and the planet. 

Earth Hour is more than just an hour in the dark. It is also a time for reflection on our ever-lasting impact on the planet and how we can make a difference, together. The simple act of turning off the lights can influence positive changes through collective, global action whilst giving hope for the future. People join from their homes and local communities across towns and cities in over 192 countries and territories. 

Joining in with Earth Hour is a small part of UWL’s efforts to embed a culture of sustainability and become a net-zero carbon institution by 2030. The University has made significant investment in the last three years upgrading the majority of its estate lighting from inefficient bulbs to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) - LEDs can save up to 90% more energy than a traditional bulb with the same light output. UWL will save over 455,000 kWh of energy and 129,000 kgCO2e of carbon emissions per year. 

A world globe surrounded in greenery.

Claire Willitts, Director of Property Services, says: 

While the University still has a long way to go before becoming a net zero carbon institution, we are reaping the benefits of upgrading our estate lighting to high energy efficient LEDs and installing better lighting controls. This is now the direction of travel of our estate refurbishment programme, owing to the significant impact it has on reducing energy and carbon emissions, as well as light pollution in our local community.” 

We want to invite you to join us by switching off your lights and spending 60 minutes doing something positive for our planet! 

Main body

3 ways you can support Earth Hour: 

  1. Switch off any non-essential lights. Use the hour to reflect on what nature means to you. 
  2. Go further and switch off all non-essential electrical equipment including heating – wear extra clothes to keep warm if it is chilly! 
  3. Spread the word about Earth Hour to your friends and family so that together we can have a bigger impact.  

Related news