Vietnam’s Shining Earth Hour Campaign

The 2010 Earth Hour program will bring the message ‘Small Actions for Big Changes’ to Vietnam. After a successful debut in 2009, the 2010 Earth Hour campaign will return from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 27.

The Vietnamese-based 2010 Earth Hour campaign will be jointly held by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and Electricity of Vietnam (EVN).

WWF Vietnam director Ms. Tran Minh Hien said “Vietnam is one of the five countries that are most likely to be ravaged by climate change. Therefore, we need to take strong action and be committed to reducing gas emissions. The Earth Hour campaign is significant in that it helps cut gas emissions, prevents global warming, while in the meantime raising people’s awareness about the need for energy efficiency and conservation.”

The Earth Hour’s Organizing Committee encourages every Vietnamese individual, organization and business to uphold the event by practical and simple actions – turning off lights and unnecessary electric equipment for an hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 27, in a bid to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, also to support the national energy efficiency and conservation program under the slogan ‘Give the Earth One Hour To Relax’.

As part of the 2010 Earth Hour campaign, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has urged the Departments of Industry and Trade in centrally governed provinces and municipalities to increase activities to raise public awareness about the campaign. MoIT has also encouraged business groups, state-own corporations, organizations and businesses, and local people to get involved in the event by turning off their lights and unimportant electric equipment during the time the event takes place. MoIT has urged Electricity of Vietnam to work on plans to operate the power system during the time the event takes place and then review its efficiency.

This year, the main activities of the Earth Hour campaign will take place in Ho Chi Minh City with famous artists and the Earth Hour friendship ambassadors in attendance. The city’s major hotels and buildings will have their decorative lighting and some other electric equipment turned off for one hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 27, 2010. In the front side of the Ho Chi Minh City Theatre there will be an art performance where candles are lit alongside a photo exhibition and a drawing contest on the theme of Earth Hour with around 5,000 people in attendance. In addition, from March 20-27, the city will host a number of exchange programs with friendship ambassadors and screen films about the Earth Hour event.

The ten friendship ambassadors will feature familiar artists and businesses such as Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), artist Dang Chau Anh, MC Thao Van, and fashion model Thuy Hang. They will start their duties by providing information about the campaign to relatives, friends and the public; encouraging people to partake in the campaign; and host drawing contests and school games for students.

To ensure the success of the campaign, Electricity of Vietnam’s deputy director Nguyen Manh Hung said “This year, EVN will join the Earth Hour campaign not as a sponsor but also as a friendship ambassador. Under the new status, EVN will bring professional knowledge and the campaign to schools and businesses to propagate the most effective ways to conserve energy.”

Many provinces, cities as well as organizations and businesses across the country have registered to join the Earth Hour campaign such as Hoi An, Thanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa provinces, VP Bank, Hanoi hotel chains such as the Sofitel Plaza and Hilton. A marketing staff member at the Sofitel Hanoi Plaza Hotel (one of the most active supporters of 2009 Earth Hour campaign), Tran Thi Hoa, said during the hour the event takes place the hotel will turn off its lighting system in the hotel and replace it by big candles. The hotel will also encourage its guests to join the campaign. “We want to contribute our small part to the general cause. When small acts are duplicated, we believe they can bring big changes,” she said./.

VEN

Tags: Earth Hou in Vietnam, Earth Hour Campaign