Thousands of offices of some of the world’s leading corporations will be supporting this year’s Earth Hour “lights out” initiative for effective climate change action.

Many of the companies will also be encouraging staff to individually join the expected hundreds of millions of others from every continent who will turn lights off for one hour from 8.30 pm on Saturday, March 27.

The ever-growing list of corporate support around the world for Earth Hour 2010 includes Canon, Coca-Cola, HSBC, Nokia Siemens Networks, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics and Wells Fargo. The companies are emphasizing that while corporate efforts for Earth Hour are symbolic gestures, they also highlight the critical need for more action around climate protection.

One of the world’s leading financial institutions, HSBC, is taking the opportunity with its commitment of world-wide support to Earth Hour 2010 to reinforce the need for greater consideration of energy use habits.

“HSBC will switch off lights in its offices around the world to highlight to our employees, customers and the public the continued importance of thinking about the way we consume resources,” said Head of Group Corporate Sustainability for HSBC, Mr Simon Martin.

With around 8,500 office locations across 86 countries, HSBC’s worldwide power-down aims to inspire the behavioral change and corporate accountability they feel is required to address the ongoing indiscriminate threat of global warming.

“Climate change remains a clear challenge to human society, and the symbolic act of powering down our offices for an hour is a way of heightening awareness of the need for everybody to act responsibly and cohesively to manage the challenge,” Mr Martin said.

Similarly, communications giant Nokia Siemens Networks will urge its offices worldwide to ‘flick the switch’ on March 27, while at the same time encouraging its 64,000 strong staff and worldwide customer base to be part of a global resolution to climate change.

Coca-Cola will be turning out lights in many offices and bottling facilities around the world while also helping to raise awareness by activating iconic marketing assets.

Wells Fargo, which is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent through energy efficiency efforts in its own operations, is encouraging its customers to participate in Earth Hour through messages on its ATMs expected to reach more than eight million people. The company is also turning off its own non-essential lights where practical. Wells Fargo Green Teams (grassroots groups of Wells Fargo team members that help drive environmental stewardship) are encouraging co-workers to participate in the event.

Mary Wenzel, director of Environmental Affairs at Wells Fargo said, “While the 60 minutes of energy saved during the event is important, the true significance of this event is that it demonstrates that by both working together and also taking personal responsibility for turning off lights, unplugging electrical items and making our homes more energy efficient each of us can make a positive difference.

“Please join us.”

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics’ (WWL) will lead up to Earth Hour with an “energy efficiency week” in its main office in Oslo, with staff invited to “find wasted energy in the building”, while WWL offices globally are being encouraged to plan their own activities for Earth Hour.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the world’s largest professional services firm, have conducted a study of the international business community, with some enlightening revelations into attitudes towards the global management of the climate dilemma. Titled Appetite for Change, the world’s most comprehensive survey of its kind reveals that 84% of corporate executives believe global warming will change the way they do business over the next two to three years.

With an extensive program of measured carbon emission targets to meet the impending changes to the international business landscape, PwC will show its commitment to climate action by engaging its offices in more than 150 countries to switch off their lights for Earth Hour 2010, while also encouraging its 163,000 staff to participate in the world’s greatest show of action on global warming.

“The implementation of sustainable business practices is not just an environmental imperative, it’s a commercial one, too,” said Earth Hour Executive Director Andy Ridley.

“Earth Hour brings together cities, communities, businesses and individuals on the journey to positive action on climate change.”

Source WWF

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