On Saturday (March 29), over 3000 Verizon employees around the globe will join the Earth Hour movement. Starting at 8:30 p.m., Verizon and its employees have pledged to turn off lights for one hour at approximately 550 Verizon buildings and 3000 Verizon employee homes across roughly 40 countries, helping to raise energy-efficiency awareness and promote sustainable living.
Earth Hour, which began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, has grown into a global event with millions of participants in over 150 countries. Supporters participate by switching off non-essential lights for one hour as a symbolic show of concern for the environment.
“Earth Hour is an annual display of how our imagination can inspire and engage hundreds of millions to focus on the one thing that unites us – our planet,” said Keya Chatterjee, Director – Renewable Energy & Footprint Outreach, World Wildlife Fund. “Joining together for Earth Hour with the Verizon family, and other businesses, communities and cities around the world, we are setting the stage for a brighter tomorrow.”
“Earth Hour provides each of us with a chance to not only act as greener citizens, but to also share and influence others to live greener lives. With Verizon Green Team members located across the globe, we are motivated and mobilizing for fifth straight year to work green and live green in honour of Earth Hour,” said James Gowen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Verizon.
Verizon is encouraging its employees to participate in Earth Hour. When Verizon employees pledge to participate from home, they are given a choice of voting via the World Wildlife Fund to symbolically adopt one of several endangered animals. For every 100 votes cast, Verizon will symbolically adopt one of those animals through a donation to the WWF.
Last year, Verizon planted 5,000 trees to honour its employees who participated in Earth Hour. Verizon also dimmed lights and signs around the world, including MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and company facilities such as the Pearl Street building in Manhattan, a call centre in Pittsburgh, the corporate campus in Basking Ridge, N.J.; and company sites in Dortmund, Germany; and Reading in the United Kingdom.
