Ahead of WWF’s Earth Hour 2023, Torbay’s MP Kevin Foster joined with the WWF in a pledge to harness the power of nature to tackle climate change.
On Saturday 25 March at 8.30pm the world will unite in support of people and the planet. Iconic UK landmarks, including the London Eye, Edinburgh Castle, and the Senedd building, will be turning off their lights in a show of solidarity. Here in Torbay the festoon lighting along Torquay seafront and the lights at Torre Abbey will switch off for the hour, as an event is held in the grounds of Torre Abbey to mark Earth Hour.
The event is not just about turning off lights for one hour, Earth Hour is a time to switch off from distractions and focus on nature.
At the CBD COP15 conference in Montreal, governments agreed to a global mission to halt and reverse the loss of nature by 2030, while the IPCC has shown that nature is our ally in the fight against climate change. WWF is calling on politicians to show their commitment to tackling the drivers of biodiversity loss and ramp up ambition for its restoration.
Nature is our life support system. When we work with nature and not against it, we have cleaner air to breathe, better water to drink, and healthier food to eat. And science shows that time spent in nature makes us happier and healthier.
But nature in the UK is under threat: a quarter of all our mammals are at risk of extinction; over the last 50 years we’ve lost 38 million birds from our skies; 97% of our wildflower meadows have disappeared since the 1930s; and 92% of the UK’s seagrass meadows, which can absorb carbon more efficiently than tropical rainforests, have been lost in the last century.
Becky, Director of Advocacy at WWF, said:
“The UK is in the top 10% of the most nature depleted countries in the world, but together we can make the changes necessary to bring our wild isles back to life.
We’re delighted to see MPs from across the UK give their support to Earth Hour and pledge to protect our planet. We hope they will be a champion for nature in Parliament and their communities throughout the year, and inspire their constituents and colleagues to act to restore nature.”
Kevin Foster MP said:
“I was pleased to join with the WWF to discuss the role nature can play in fighting climate change and the work we can all do to support the Earth Hour 2023.”
ENDS
