Earth Hour 2013: Establishing a bright, sustainable future through energy efficiency

MANILA, Philippines - Did you know that light emitting diode (LED) lamps use only about 26 percent of the electricity that compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and traditional incandescent light bulbs use?

Now imagine how much energy we can save if every Filipino household replaces all its older light bulbs with LED lamps.

Demand on natural resources has doubled in the last 50 years. We are currently using the equivalent of 1.5 planets to sustain our needs. Given the challenge of finite resources, we need to find ways to do more while using less energy.

Guided by this, leading renewable energy advocate World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines) partnered with Philips Electronics and Lightings, Inc. (Philips) to help Filipinos adopt simple steps to use energy wisely and reduce their ecological impacts on the planet.

Energy efficiency simply means using the least possible amount of energy to get a job done. For the average Filipino consumer, energy efficiency is a way to reduce electricity costs and improve the planet’s health at the same time.

WWF-Philippines and Philips have been partners for two years in implementing the Bright Kids program, which has educated thousands of public elementary students about energy efficiency and conservation.

This 2013, Philips has taken its commitment to protect the environment a step further by supporting Earth Hour and its accompanying climate change adaptation program, Beyond the Hour.

Providing additional support for WWF-Philippines’ sustainability and conservation programs, Philips plans to turn over 150 solar-powered lamps for the organization’s project sites, research facilities, and partner rural communities which are susceptible to power interruptions.

 â€œPhilips has partnered with WWF-Philippines again in the hopes of establishing a better and more sustainable environment. Since it is our company’s objective to improve overall the health and well-being of communities, we intend to equip and educate Filipinos with simple yet integral steps to help them use energy more efficiently while enjoying an ideal quality of life,”  Fabia Tetterroo-Bueno, Philips country manager, said.

Earth Hour, every hour

Earth Hour, celebrated across 7,001 cities and towns in 151 countries last year, is the world’s largest voluntary action for the planet. It invites individuals, businesses, governments, and communities to turn off their lights for one hour on a designated Saturday in March to stand for environmentally sustainable action.

For the past four years, the Philippines has had the most number of cities and towns joining the global movement. But more than the numbers, Earth Hour stands for a pledge to go beyond the 60-minute lights-out by living more sustainably and minimizing our ecological impacts.

Beyond the Hour is an on-the-ground program that encourages individuals to proactively take action to protect the environment. The year-long campaign will reach out to the general public, local government constituencies, and public schools.

“Earth Hour and Beyond the Hour are brilliant examples of climate change solutions, plus public and private sector collaborations. Through our partnership with Philips, more Filipinos will know how to manage their resources efficiently as we face a climate-defined future,” Angela Consuelo Ibay, the national director of Earth Hour Philippines and the head of WWF-Philippines’ Climate Change and Energy Program, added.

“WWF-Philippines and Philips encourage Filipinos to join us for this year’s Earth Hour and more importantly, to go beyond the hour. There is no action too small or insignificant when it comes from a sincere commitment to protect the environment,” Ibay concluded.