Earth Hour scoops the green

This call for action saw more than a million South Africans switch off their lights for an hour, joining an estimated billion people around the world in what's been described as the largest global demonstration of mass action. The WWF hopes that this award will help raise public awareness around the need for action against climate change ahead of the UN climate change conference in December in Copenhagen.

Saatchi & Saatchi delivered a through-the-line campaign, including digital, direct marketing, out-of-home, radio and television commercials, brokered strategic alliances with multi-national companies and media houses, and provided a high-octane social media & networking solution.

Because of high-calibre impact of the materials from the campaign entitled, ‘Sign up and Switch Off', South Africans saved about 400MW of electricity, 400t of carbon dioxide, 224t of coal and about 576 000 l of water.

“The 400MW translates to about four-million 100W bulbs or 6,7-million 60W bulbs switched off and shows a concerted effort by about one million households,” said Eskom MD corporate services and Eskom climate change champion, Dr Steve Lennon.

Richard Worthington, WWF's Climate Change Programme Manager in South Africa, states that one such awareness-raising measure is the appointment of four WWF Climate Champions, high-profile South Africans who are urging decisive action at the Copenhagen conference: Cyril Ramaphosa, Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Valli Moosa and Tom Boardman.

The Arctic Climate Feedbacks: Global Implications report is on www.panda.org/arctic.