Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) will be organising the 'Earth Hour 2012' under the umbrella of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (SCE) on March 31.

Earth Hour is the largest global environmental event for the cause of planet earth in which millions of people across the world come together in a mark of solidarity against the biggest threat to our living environment, climate change, by turning off all unnecessary lights and electrical equipment between 8:30pm and 9.30pm.

Dewa has teamed up with SCE and Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS) along with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Emaar for this year's event whch is being held under slogan “I will, if you will.”

Announcing the programme, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice chairman of the SCE and the Dewa managing director and CEO, said, "Dubai was the first Arab city to participate in Earth Hour in 2008 and has continued to relentlessly do so by urging involvement from all sectors of the community as part of its leading role in building a sustainable future."

Dewa called upon all individuals, businesses, government agencies and educational institutions to unite in challenging one another to commit to changing their behaviour towards conservation and preserving planet earth, no matter how great or small the action or challenge might be.

“As the threat of carbon emissions becomes critical, it is vital that we all take action now to cut our own levels of consumption by not wasting electricity and water. This will only be achieved by giving thought to our natural environment in our daily lives,” he added.

Ahmed Al Matrooshi, managing director, Emaar Properties, said: "It is our honour to be associated with the Dewa for the Earth Hour 2012 activities. Emaar is a committed partner in Dubai’s ambitious goals to achieve its green vision."

"Over the past years, we have been actively taking part in Earth Hour, recording overwhelming support and participation from the residents of our communities. All our properties, including Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and The Address Hotels + Resorts will observe it in addition to an array of events in Downtown Dubai, aimed at strengthening awareness of sustainable development."

Earth Hour 2011 celebrations in Dubai saved a record 204,000 kW/h and 122,000 kg of carbon emissions through the participation of individuals, businesses, government departments and educational institutions in the Earth Hour initiative.

Festivities held by Dewa in Burj Plaza adjacent to the magnificent Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower attracted over 6,000 people who came together for the betterment of planet earth.

This year Dewa is planning a similar celebration to further participation in the global cause, said Al Tayer.

Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when more than 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights out for one hour to take a stand against climate change.

The initiative quickly evolved to become a global environmental movement of solidarity in which millions of people across the world recognized the importance of protecting the planet.-TradeArabia News Service