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News Desk

The Jakarta Post

Publication Date : 28-02-2013

Jakarta, along with at least 7,000 cities from 153 countries, will join the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) global Earth Hour programme on March 23 from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.

CEO and Co-Founder of the programme Andy Ridley said in a press release that Earth Hour was designed to encourage individuals to turn off their electricity for one hour at the same time all over the world.

The program was first launched in Sydney, Australia, in 2007.

"Earth Hour now becomes not only a 'switch-off light' campaign but also a long-term environmental movement," he said.

The Jakarta Earth Hour committee said follow-up programmes will include tree planting along the Ciliwung riverbank and mangrove planting in coastal areas.

The committee recorded that 30 cities in Indonesia had signed up to join in next month's campaign.

Jakarta became the only Indonesian city to join the program in 2009. Not only individuals, but also companies, governmental offices and building owners joined the campaign in the capital city.

Cities in Indonesia saved electricity of about 526 megawatts or 800 million Indonesian rupiah (US$82,400) from last year's campaign.

*US$1=9705 rupiah