Call out to Indian cities: are you the next Global Earth Hour Capital 2014?
While the city of Delhi still basks in the recognition awarded by the WWF, who crowned them National Earth Hour Capital, other Indian cities can start preparing to take over the title next year, as the Earth Hour City Challenge 2014 has officially been open!
Delhi was one of the three Indian finalists of the 2013 edition (together with Cochin and Coimbatore), and competed in the challenge together with other 66 cities from Italy, US, Canada, Norway and Sweden – the City of Vancouver being ultimately awarded the title of Global Earth Hour Capital 2013 for its outstanding holistic and strategic approach. This year, the competition expanded to include 15 countries, including the six from 2013.
Although urban dwellers currently account for over 70% of global CO2 emissions, cities also have the potential to create conditions for climate smart and sustainable lifestyles, allowing the world’s population to live well within the boundaries of our one and only planet. WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge was designed to highlight and reward cities that are prepared to make substantial long-term efforts to combat global warming.
“Earth Hour City Challenge has clearly demonstrated that global level of ambition can be easily raised with ambitious local leaders and actions. Now it is the responsibility of national governments to tap this potential into the new global climate regime,” said Gino Van Begin, Secretary General of ICLEI, the focal point of local governments at the UNFCCC.
ICLEI South Asia invites Indian cities with ambitious energy efficient initiatives and plans to accept the challenge: write to iclei-southasia@iclei.org to find out if you have what it takes to become the Global Earth Hour Capital 2014!
For more information about the EHCC 2014 edition, click here.
