21 Mar 2017
EARTH HOUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY HIGHLIGHTS THE VIEWS OF OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS
WWF research reveals over 8 in 10 Aussie kids think it is important for people to do what they can to protect the environment.
Earth Hour 2017 (March 25) marks ten years since the lights-out event first started in Australia in 2007.
Launched by WWF, the event has since become the world’s biggest grassroots environmental movement where landmarks and communities switch off their lights simultaneously (8:30pm local time) to show their support for a brighter future for the planet.
This year’s 10th anniversary campaign in Australia will highlight the views of the next generation, reminding Australians of the need to combat climate change and protect the planet for the future.
Research released by WWF today reveals that Aussie kids have clear views about climate change, expressing concerns about the impact of global warming and issues relating to the environment.
The study, of 500 Australian children aged between seven and 12 years, conducted by AMR Research showed that six out of 10 kids worry about one or more environment specific issue and 69 per cent had heard or learnt about climate change either at school and/or at home.
Nearly a third (30%) are concerned about loss of animal species and almost the same amount (32%) are concerned about sufficient food and/or water supplies in the future.
For children in this age group, environmental concerns rank above terrorism (23%), being close to friends and family (25%), and having a successful career in the future (21%).
The research also revealed that almost 7 out of 10 kids think it is very important for people to do what they can to protect the environment with the major sentiment of kids (83%) being that they and their family can take action.
Dermot O’Gorman, CEO, WWF-Australia said: “More than ever, our actions on climate change today will shape the future for our children. Since they were born, our children have been taught to be active recyclers, aware of renewable power alternatives, and informed about the effects of pollution on our planet. They know more about climate change than any other generation did at their age. And they have extraordinary views on what they want for their planet.”
As part of the Earth Hour initiative, WWF partners with award-winning education organisation Cool Australia to create an extensive Earth Hour-inspired curriculum toolkit for teachers to download and use in classrooms free of charge.
Jason Kimberley from Cool Australia said: “Education is vital, we need to provide our next generations with relevant and engaging information about how our world works and what we risk with ‘business as usual’. As educators it is critical that we address the challenges of climate change through a range of subjects across all year levels. When students ‘do the maths’ on our carbon budget to keep our world below 2 degrees of warming it quickly becomes apparent that we are living beyond our means. From this student led learning our students become engaged in the conversation and are empowered to take action.”
Dermot continued, “We want our children to have a bright future. That’s why we need to tackle global warming and take advantage of the affordable, abundant renewable energy opportunities we have in Australia."
“On March 25, WWF are calling on Australians to turn off their lights at 8:30 pm local time as a symbol of support for a low pollution, clean energy future for all generations.”
Families, friends, schools and communities across the country are encouraged to register their support at www.earthhour.org.au host or attend an Earth Hour gathering in their community on Earth Hour night, and get active in the lead up to, and during, the official hour.
For the 10th Anniversary, WWF has given 10 year old Aussie kids a platform to voice their opinions on the environmental issues that concern them. Kids feature in their own news show called the Tomorrow Show highlighting the climate news that is important to them. You can view the thought-provoking clips here.
For further information, case studies, spokesperson interviews, vision and images please contact:
Olivia Heidrich | 0418 268 235 | olivia.heidrich@leoburnett.com.au
Liz Hunt | 0434 084 333 | liz.hunt@leoburnett.com.au
Register for Earth Hour – Earth Hour: 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm local time, Saturday, March 25, 2017
NOTES TO EDITORS
Methodology
- 10-minute online survey conducted by AMR Research with 505 Australian kids aged 7-12 years
- Survey responses were captured between 6th and 13th February 2017
- Kids accessed via online consumer panel; parents completed a short screening questionnaire and then asked children to complete the survey (with parent’s assistance)
- Quotas set and weighting applied to ensure that results are representative of the Australian population of children aged 7-12 in terms of gender, age and location
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour 2017 (March 25) marks ten years since the lights-out event first started in Australia in 2007.
Launched by WWF, the event has become the world’s biggest grassroots environmental movement where landmarks and communities switch off their lights to show their support for a brighter future for the planet.
Now celebrated in over 170 countries, and over 7,000 cities, with over 6 million Australians (1 in 4) taking part, Earth Hour has one mission: to unite people to protect the planet and show they care about its future.
On Saturday March 25, Australians will be called upon to turn off their lights between 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm local time as a symbol of support for a low pollution, clean energy future for all generations.