Earth Hour is an annual international event, initiated by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2007. It calls on households and businesses to turn off electric lights and other non-essential electric devices for 1 hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March every year.

This year Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade celebrates Earth Hour with several practical activities to spread to the message “Save Electricity – Make It a Habit”.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan said: “To celebrate the Earth Hour campaign, the community practices saving electricity throughout all 365 days of the year, making it a habit anytime, anywhere. We want all people, communities and businesses nationwide to join hands to protect the environment and save energy towards the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.”

Last Saturday, more than 1,500 athletes and foreign tourists participated in a running event organized in Hanoi by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to call attention to the program for all people to save electricity. The event called, “Race for Earth Hour”, was part of the 2024 Earth Hour Campaign.

Nguyen Van Thuong, a runner working at ORC Hanoi Limited Company in Hanoi, said: "By joining the 2024 Earth Hour running event, I hope that everyone will develop the habit of turning off non-essential electric devices.”

To mark the occasion, an online contest on energy saving and efficiency is being held until the end of this month. Vietnam has participated in the Earth Hour Campaign for 15 consecutive years, which has raised public awareness of energy saving, environmental protection, and climate change.