Scouts Commemorate Earth Hour with Call for Urgent Climate Action

On 25 March and the week leading up to the day, Scouts all over Africa joined WWF to commemorate Earth Hour with a call for urgent action on climate change. This year’s event came against the backdrop of the recently released IPCC Sixth Climate Change Assessment Report 2023 which warned the world of its final opportunity to limit global temperature rises to a point where damage becomes irreversible. Scouts took the opportunity to join millions of people worldwide in calling upon individuals, governments, and organizations around the world to take immediate and decisive action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, and preserve the planet for current and future generations. 

Since 2007 Earth Hour has shone a spotlight on the issues of climate change and nature loss, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in more than 190 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action. The aim of Earth Hour which aligns with World Scouting’s Earth Tribe network is to create an unstoppable movement for nature, recognizing the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet's most pressing environmental challenges and harnessing the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive change.

Scouts across Africa, as they've done annually, took part by organizing in-person and virtual awareness events, conducting marches for nature, planting trees, conducting environmental clean-ups, and doing the symbolic switch-off at 08:30 PM local time on 25 March.

Regionally, the World Scout Bureau Africa Support Centre was represented by Nelson Opany, Senior Manager of Communications and Partnerships at the Earth Hour Africa Media Webinar alongside Dr. Amani Ngusaru the Acting Africa Regional Director for WWF International among other speakers. He highlighted the work the World Organization of the Scout Movement and WWF International are doing together to educate and empower young people to become Champions for Nature and contribute to protecting and restoring nature.

The Scouts Biggest Hour for Earth Virtual Event organized on the evening of 25 March provided an opportunity for Scouts to reflect and commit to act to address the most pressing environmental challenge of our time - reversing the adverse impacts of climate change and ensuring the sustainability of the planet, our only home. It focused on creating awareness about Earth Hour and its significance, reviewing the recently released IPCC Climate Report 2023 and the need to urgently tackle climate change, as well as providing the participants with access to resources for environmental education and action by young people.

Building on the 50 years of collaboration with WWF, Scouts were also exposed to the Champions for Nature Challenge developed with WWF to empower young people to become champions for nature and biodiversity by developing sustainable habits for an eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle.

Nationally, Scouts teamed up with WWF Country offices to organize different commemorative activities. Others worked in the Scout groups to contribute to the #BiggestHourForEarth. Here is a recap of how some Scouts in Africa stood in solidarity with people and nature.

• Cote d’Ivoire: Scouts took the Scouts go Solar Challenge and learned how to protect the planet by embracing the use of solar energy.
• DR Congo: Scouts took the Plastic Tide Turners Challenge to raise awareness on protecting the planet by reducing plastic waste in the environment.
• Madagascar: Scouts partnered with WWF and other youth organizations to organize a march to raise awareness on climate change. 
• South Africa: Apart from promoting the Champions for Nature as their 2023 national challenge, Scouts took part in the WWF South Africa’s Global Children’s Designathon on 25 March at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens where children aged 8-12 learned about biodiversity: what it is, what the main causes of the loss in biodiversity are and how it affects the planet and the future of all living things.
• South Sudan: Scouts of South Sudan Earth Hour in Yei County of Central Equatoria State, with activities including the observation of a moment of silence for the earth, environmental awareness games and pre-investiture of new Scouts.
• Tanzania: Scouts taught the young Scouts to grow food in School through their ongoing Food for Life project.
• Zimbabwe: Scouts joined WWF and other partners in a sensitization event after which they led a tree-planting exercise.

As a movement committed to the preservation of nature, Scouting continues to invite young people to take the Champions for Nature Challenge to learn and practice concrete ways to protect wildlife and nature while earning one of our most unique badges.

While Scouting is increasing efforts to advocate, educate and act to help put the planet on a path to sustainability, we call on all to urgently prioritise climate action and nature-based solutions before it’s too late.

It’s never been more urgent to help our planet, and Scouting is here to support young people in creating this much-needed change.

Next year’s Earth Hour will be commemorated on 23 March 2024 at 8:30 pm local time.