Environment

Earth Hour is back. Target: -30 tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere

The initiative launched 20 years ago by WWF invites municipalities to switch off the lights of monuments for one hour and thus save precious energy

by Valeriano Musiu

28 March 2026

Earth Hour 2026: un’ora a luci spente per il pianeta

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

What is Earth Hour
The numbers of past editions
The impact of switching off the light
How much do you save

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

One hour to save the planet from the climate crisis. On Saturday 28 March, at 8.30 p.m., Earth Hour 2026, the Earth Hour promoted by the WWF, was triggered. The initiative, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, invites citizens around the world to switch off their lights to raise awareness of the climate emergency.

What is Earth Hour

Officially inaugurated in 2007, Earth Hour is a global and borderless event promoted by the WWF, which invites the population to make a gesture for the climate for 60 minutes: a concrete gesture, such as switching off the light, but at the same time highly symbolic. The initiative is aimed at individual citizens, institutions, cities and businesses. For the first time in the history of Earth Hour, the striking Acqua Paola Fountain (Fontanone) on the Janiculum Hill will be switched off in Rome. A special switch-off to celebrate the 60th anniversary of WWF Italia.

Once again this year Earth Hour received the patronage of several institutions. Among others, the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate of the Republic, the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and the National Association of Italian Municipalities (ANCI). The Medal of the President of the Republic was also awarded. By switching off the lighting of the Dome and the façade of St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy See also participated in the event.

Among the cities joining the initiative are Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Catania, Florence, Milan, Naples (where the Maschio Angioino and some of the city's iconic churches, including the Duomo, the Basilica dell'Incoronata (Capodimonte) and the Basilica of San Giovanni Maggiore, will be switched off), Padua, Turin and others.

Earth Hour 2026: un’ora a luci spente per il pianeta

Past edition numbers

Looking at the numbers of the 2025 edition, WWF said that last year in Italia "at least 200 monuments" were switched off, with around "150 municipalities" taking part in the event. Globally, the association estimated that supporters 'in about 120 countries and territories collectively dedicated almost 3 million hours' to the activity. According to the association, in 2024 the event had reached 1.5 million hours, and in 2023 around 400,000.

The impact of switching off the light

The one promoted by the WWF is above all a symbolic gesture, but it gives an idea (albeit limited) of the concrete impact that the actions of individuals can have on energy consumption. If, for example, we make a purely theoretical estimate and take a 40 watt LED bulb, we would save 0.04 kilowatt hours (kWh) by keeping it switched off for one hour. Multiplying this figure by the number of hours 'donated' during Earth Hour 2025, i.e. three million, we obtain a saving of 120 MWh. A small value, but enough to cover the energy needs of more than 44 families for an entire year, considering an average annual consumption of an Italian family of about 2,700 kWh.

Besides the economic aspect, saving energy would also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, the main cause of the climate crisis. In 2023, in fact, according to Ispra, the amount of CO2 produced by the electricity sector in Italia was 78.9 tonnes, equal to about 21% of national greenhouse gases, the second highest after transport (28%) and before the residential sector (18%).

Ora legale per sempre: conviene davvero?

How much do you save

Let us make another estimate: again according to Ispra (2023 data), the production of 1 kWh of energy releases 247 grams of CO2. Multiplying this figure by the 120 thousand kWh saved by switching off the light bulb for one hour, we arrive at 29.64 tonnes of carbon dioxide not released into the atmosphere. Equivalent to that produced by a diesel car to travel 200 thousand kilometres. These are numbers which, taken in isolation, have a marginal impact, but which give an idea of how reducing consumption can also have an impact on combating the climate crisis.