Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (Dubal) on Saturday endorsed the Earth Hour 2009 campaign by switching off all unnecessary lights, air conditioners, office computers and other non-vital equipment in a united stand with millions of people across the world.

The world’s largest modern aluminium smelter with a captive power station, Dubal, joined the campaign which took place from 8:30 to 9:30 pm on March 28.

The company said it was committed to minimising the impact of its operations on the environment. “Being a 24-7 operation, the Dubal plant cannot be switched off on an ad hoc basis,” pointed out Abdulla JM Kalban (president and CEO).

'However certain non-critical items can be turned off temporarily without compromising individual safety and/or plant security; or affecting production and plant efficiencies,' he explained.

'Our individual operating departments identified these items in advance of Earth Hour, and flicked the proverbial switch accordingly,' he added.

Kalban said that staff in Dubal’s administration areas were also encouraged to turn off their personal computers, printers, scanners, lights and other equipment for the entire weekend.

In addition, Dubal’s residential area – which is home to some 1,600 bachelor employees – marked Earth Hour with 60 minutes of complete darkness across the camp.

“While communicating Dubal’s participation in Earth Hour 2009 through personalised letters, posters, PC wallpaper and our electronic signboard, we urged all of our 4,100 people to make a point of supporting the initiative wherever they found themselves at 8:30 pm on Saturday evening,” Kalban added.

Now in its third year, Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses voluntarily switched off their lights for one hour.

In 2008, the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with over 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Coliseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca-Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

This year, the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored initiative aimed to have 1 billion people switch off their lights for at least an hour, as participants in a unified vote against global warming.

Over 1,800 cities across more than 80 countries and territories pledged their support to Earth Hour 2009. In Dubai, the lights at Burj Al Arab and Burj Dubai – the tallest under-construction building in the world - were switched off for Earth Hour.

“According to the organizers, the overall goal of Earth Hour is to encourage people to take simple steps everyday that collectively reduce carbon emissions and halt climate change – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby,” Kalban said.

“Our sincere hope is, that by participating in Earth Hour 2009, Dubal’s people will be inspired to make conscious lifestyle changes that will make a lasting difference to the planet as a whole,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service