A Javan rhino was found dead late last week in Cat Tien National Park in, Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, further endangering the population of one of the world’s rarest large mammals. It is now uncertain how many, if any, Javan rhinos are left in Vietnam, WWF said.

The rhino is suspected to have been killed by poachers after a scientific examination by WWF and national park authorities found the animal had been shot and the horn had been removed. Rhino horn is a highly valued commodity in the illegal wildlife trade, with the skin and faeces used for alleged medicinal purposes.
“This is devastating news for rhino conservation and Vietnam,” said Dung Huynh Tien, National Policy Coordinator of WWF Vietnam. “The loss of this rhino is symbolic of the grim situation facing endangered species like the rhino and tiger across Vietnam.”

Local people first reported finding the body of a large mammal to National Park authorities on April 29. A forest patrol team was immediately deployed to the site where they confirmed the dead animal was a Javan rhino.

“We’re urging the Vietnamese Government to launch an urgent and extensive criminal investigation into this animal’s death,” said Dung Huynh Tien.

It is a criminal offence under Vietnamese law to trade, use or consume any part of an endangered animal such as the Javan rhino. Those convicted of this crime can face imprisonment and large fines.

Rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high in 2009. The illegal trade is being driven by an Asian demand for horns, made worse by increasingly sophisticated poachers.

Vietnam was highlighted as a country of particular concern at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting in March, and Vietnamese nationals operating in South Africa have recently been identified in rhino crime investigations.

Vietnam’s Javan rhinos (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) are one of only two populations of the species left on Earth. Official estimates say there are fewer than 60 Javan rhino left. The largest population is found in Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia. There are no Javan rhinos in captivity anywhere in the world.
“This is truly heartbreaking news.” said Diane Walkington, head of species at WWF-UK. “With such a small population of Javan rhinos left, every single animal is critical. We can only hope that this terrible loss acts as a clear call to the Vietnamese government that they need to clamp down much harder on wildlife crime – before it’s too late.”

WWF recently finished a field survey in Vietnam using highly trained sniffer dogs from the US to locate rhino dung. These dung samples will undergo DNA analysis to determine the exact population status of the species. Results from this study will be available later this year. WWF will send samples taken from the dead rhino to Queen’s University in Canada for analysis to see if the DNA of the dead rhino matches any of the dung samples taken during the population status survey.

For further information contact:

Benjamin Ward in the WWF-UK press office: +44 7837 134 193, bward@wwf.org.uk

Nicole Frisina in the WWF Greater Mekong Programme, +856 207 590 164, nicole.frisina@wwfgreatermekong.org

Notes to the editor

• For high-quality photos of the Javan rhino including photos of the taken of the rhino found in Cat Tien National Park visit: http://www.divshare.com/gallery/715805-485
Please note caption information is saved as the file name. All credits to WWF.

• Rhinomania blog: http://www.rhinomania.blogspot.com

• The Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) was listed as Critically Endangered on the 2009 IUCN Red List.

• Three different subspecies of Javan rhino are recognized. The most abundant subspecies (R. sondaicus sondaicus) lives only in Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, Indonesia, with approximately 40-60 individuals remaining. The subspecies once found in Bengal, Assam, and Myanmar (R. sondicus inermis) is now extinct. The third subspecies (R. sondaicus annamiticus) survives only in Vietnam, and is the subject of this population survey.

• WWF is working to conserve 600,000 km2 of the world’s most biologically diverse, economically viable, and seriously threatened forests and rivers within the Greater Mekong region, home and life source to over 300 million people in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and southern China.

The Australian Government’s decision to delay the carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS) is grossly irresponsible both in terms of the environment and the economy, and is a betrayal to those who voted the Rudd Government in, WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne said today.

It also flies in the face of a new opinion poll which shows an overwhelming 79 per cent of respondents believe Australia should either begin reducing carbon pollution before other countries, or start reducing regardless of when other countries choose to act.

“It is clear the Australian public wants action now, and not when it is politically beneficial,” said Mr Bourne. “Delaying the scheme elevates opportunism over the welfare of future generations.”

The Government’s decision ignores environmental and economic advice from a wide range of experts recommending immediate Australian action, including the CSIRO and the Garnaut and Shergold reviews.

Both Garnaut and Shergold recommended the immediate implementation of an emission trading scheme irrespective of the positions taken by other countries because it would advantage Australia in the long run.

The new opinion poll of over 4,000 Australians living in metropolitan areas was conducted for WWF-Australia by AMR Interactive. Only 13 per cent of respondents said Australia should wait until other countries take action on reducing their carbon pollution.

Despite the overwhelming public support for action, Australia’s carbon pollution remains the highest per-capita in the developed world. Australia’s carbon pollution is currently growing at twice the world average.

“No matter where you look, the advice is the same. We need a way to set a limit on carbon pollution and begin reducing it,” said Bourne.

-ends-

For further information please contact:

Jo Sargent
Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK
01483 412 375
07867 697 519

WWF and the leading associations for European seafood processors and retailers are to work together to push for solutions to the crisis of European seas and fisheries.

AIPCE, the EU fish processors’ association, and Eurocommerce, which represents retail, wholesale and international trade interests to the EU, are joining WWF in seeking reforms to the troubled European Common Fisheries Policy. The current policy has failed to secure the health of EU fisheries, and has put most of them under severe strain, compromising the availability of sustainably harvested seafood.

Sally Bailey, Head of Fisheries and Seafood, at WWF-UK says: “In the last decade, we have seen huge steps by the seafood industry towards sustainability. We are united in a desire to bring European fisheries back to wide scale health and prosperity, and to do this we must change the current, ineffectual way our fisheries are managed. Today’s alliance already represents a very significant portion of the supply chain from the processing and trading sector and the retail sector, and from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. Sustainability is a conservation necessity and a business necessity today.”

AIPCE President Guus Pastoor said “For the sake of an improved CFP, EU Fish processors and traders are convinced that it is necessary to join forces to achieve sustainable and profitable fisheries for the future of all EU citizens. Therefore we feel committed to support an alliance of partners seeking for a reform which meets the needs of the sector.”
In the UK, WWF-UK is already working with leading retailer M&S to address the problem of overfishing and increase demand for sustainably sourced seafood.

Richard Luney,Wild Fish and Aquaculture Manager, at M&S says: “M&S are commmited to ensuring our fish stocks, and the communities they support are protected. The reform of the Common Fisheries Policy offers us a once in a decade opportunity to influence how our fisheries are managed, and we are keen to play an active role alongside WWF to ensure sustainable fish remains on our shelves.”

In the next months WWF and its allies will present their shared position to members of the European Commission and the Parliament involved in the reform of European fisheries and actively engage more and more national offices and companies to move towards sustainable and well-managed fisheries inside and outside Europe.

The alliance is seeking the replacement of “political quotas” for fish with mandatory long term management plans firmly based on science for all EU fisheries by 2015,

The alliance is also seeking to have all regional stakeholders play effective roles in developing fisheries plans and a culture of compliance for fisheries.

Strong EU standards should also apply wherever the EU fishes and this should be reflected in EU ishery and trade polices and fishing agreements and partnerships.

Fisheries policy should also seek to maximise value from catch to consumer, avoiding waste and ensuring stable supplies of seafood and added value at each stage of supply chain;

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Notes to the editor:
The alliance:
WWF is one of the worlds’ largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries.
AIPCE-CEP is the EU Fish Processors and Traders Association and represents 130.000 employees, 4.000 enterprises and a production value of around €20 billion (http://aipce-cep.org/)
EuroCommerce represents the retail, wholesale and international trade sectors in Europe. Its membership includes commerce federations in 31 countries, European and national associations representing specific commerce sectors and individual companies. One company out of three in Europe is active in the commerce sector. (www.eurocommerce.be).

The shared statement and list of supporting companies: (link)

For further information:
Debbie Chapman, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK, tel. +44 (0)7900 670282, Email: dchapman@wwf.org.uk
Aurora Vicente, Secretary General, AIPCE-CEP, tel. +32 (0)2 743 87 44, Email: aipce@agep.eu
Marina Valverde Lopez, Adviser on Food Policy and Consumers, Eurocommerce,
tel. +32 (0)2 737 0584, Email: valverdelopez@eurocommerce.be

Britain’s rivers are under serious threat. Many are below their usual levels for the time of year and the need to conserve our rivers and reduce water demand has never been stronger.

With climate change, population growth and the demand for housing set to have significant impacts on river flows the future does not look bright for many of England’s best loved rivers.

This week, conservation organisation WWF-UK launches Riverside Tales, a new report that looks at the worrying future for some of the UK’s unique chalk streams. It warns of immediate threats to wildlife such as water voles, otters, salmon and kingfishers caused by taking too much water from these waterways. It calls for a consistent approach to making sure water use is within sustainable limits.

Although all water companies now have an obligation to deliver water efficiency, the policies for protecting our rivers are effectively bound by out of date licensing rules that do not reflect the needs of rivers.

Ecosystems in a third of river catchments are under threat because abstraction and licence levels are too high. WWF’s report focuses on the discrepancies in the fortunes of the Itchen in Hampshire, the upper Kennet in Wiltshire and the tributary rivers of the Upper Lee – the Mimram and the Beane in Hertfordshire and offers lessons for rivers around the country.

“All the water we use is taken from the natural environment, and as water scarcity becomes a bigger issue in the UK, the framework for how we manage water resources in England and Wales must be changed. Reducing unsustainable abstraction will require strong leadership from government, water regulators, and water companies.” said Rose Timlett, Freshwater Policy and Programme Officer, WWF-UK.

Of the three river catchment areas the future looks brightest for the Itchen – home to many protected and increasingly rare native species such as the white-clawed crayfish and southern damselfly. Over the next five years the Environment Agency and the local water company are planning to install water meters throughout the region helping to keep millions of litres of water in the river.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the other rivers. Despite the Environment Agency and water companies agreeing to reduce over abstraction, funding has not yet been secured to deliver it. There are no plans to significantly reduce the amount of water people use even though water consumption around the Mimran and the Beane rivers is amongst the highest in the country.

Based on the review of these three catchment areas, WWF is calling for all damaging abstraction licences to be amended or revoked by 2020. The government must work with regulators, water companies and local communities to become more water efficient, stop our rivers from drying out and protect our native wildlife.

-ends-

For more information, pictures of species and river catchment areas please contact:

Rowan Walker
Press Officer
WWF-UK
Tel: 01483 412 387
rwalker@wwf.org.uk

About WWF
WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Water scarcity is an increasing threat to business as populations continue to grow and climate change takes hold, according to Lloyd’s, the world’s leading specialist insurance market and WWF, the conservation organisation.

Water scarcity is an increasing threat to business as populations continue to grow and climate change takes hold, according to Lloyd’s, the world’s leading specialist insurance market and WWF, the conservation organisation.

The new report produced by Lloyd’s 360 Risk Insight and WWF, Global water scarcity: risks and challenges for business, says that businesses will have to address and manage the risk of water scarcity in the future, highlighting that all goods require water at some point in their production, as well as it being the most important human resource.

As water resources become scarce, even companies that hold a water licence – which entitles them to use a set amount of water – may face risks as governments seek to re-allocate water to priority users.

It is not just those businesses operating in the areas of water scarcity that need to manage their exposure, their business partners are also affected as the risk spreads through supply chains and imported products requiring water in their production.

Lloyd’s CEO, Richard Ward, said managing water is no longer simply a CSR issue, but is now a core business issue:
“Water scarcity is already a reality for some businesses and as this trend increases all risk managers will need to consider their organisation’s exposure.

“The most simple risk management response is to reduce your own water use, or that of your suppliers. However, businesses cannot manage this risk alone and will need to work with the wider community to improve water management and protect this critical resource.”

There is a finite amount of freshwater on our planet – only three per cent of the total water in the world is freshwater and less than one per cent is readily accessible to humans. Reputational risk is also very real as companies could be accused of over-using scarce water at the expense of the environment or householders.

WWF Head of Freshwater Programmes, Dr David Tickner, said:
“Put simply, this report shows that we all live at the water’s edge.

“Water is of critical importance to us all in our everyday lives. But the evidence is increasingly clear that freshwater ecosystems – the rivers, aquifers and wetlands from which we obtain much of our water – are in rapid decline globally because of over-use, pollution and the proliferation of poorly-planned dams.

“Businesses, other water users and ecosystems share many of the same water-related risks. Moreover, getting water management right underpins our ability to tackle many of the great challenges of the 21st Century: economic growth, food security, energy security, reducing poverty and adapting to a changing climate. WWF believes that businesses should be as much a part of the solution as governments and NGOs.”

The report identifies two strategies for companies to manage water risk:
• The three Ms – Producers should: measure their water risk; mitigate it; and market themselves as leaders in managing water use in the sector.

• The three Is – Businesses in the service sector can: consider water risk profiles when identifying suppliers; influence suppliers to mitigate water use or meet set standards; and consider water risk to businesses and supply chains when making investment decisions.

Water presents several dimensions of risk for business some of which may be covered through business interruption, property, liability or reputational insurance products. But as awareness of the risk increases, insurers will explore the potential for tailored products.

A previous Lloyd’s 360 Risk Insight report on climate change and security found water also presents a security risk to business in some parts of the world where it could become a source of inter-state conflict, such as India and Pakistan competing over access to the diminishing supply of water from the Indus river basin.

The report released today points to several initiatives already underway that can support businesses in their attempts to manage risk, including developing water footprinting methods, company water stewardship standards and guidelines for engaging with governments to improve public policy on water resources.

For further information, please contact:

Debbie Chapman, WWF Senior Press Officer
Tel: +44 (0)1483 412397 Email: dchapman@wwf.org.uk

The benefits of living in a green home should be available to everyone in the UK, but the reality is that many homeowners cannot afford to carry out green refurbishments, are confused about the best options for their home, or simply oblivious to the grants and advice that are currently available to them.

The benefits of living in a green home should be available to everyone in the UK, but the reality is that many homeowners cannot afford to carry out green refurbishments, are confused about the best options for their home, or simply oblivious to the grants and advice that are currently available to them.

For homeowners who want to make sense of it all, the Great British Refurb Campaign, fronted by Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud is presenting a series of seminars and ‘How To’ sessions at this year’s Grand Designs Live (London ExCel, 1 -9 May).

These events, featuring Kevin McCloud will give visitors to the show an opportunity to hear more about the campaign and add their support for greater financial incentives to help homeowners cover the cost of green refurbishment.

Tackling our old, inefficient housing stock is vital to help the UK cut its carbon emissions, as our homes are currently responsible for at least a quarter of the UK’s CO2 emissions. Greater financial incentives will help more people take action to make their homes more energy efficient, and the Great British Refurb Campaign is specifically proposing tax breaks to help drive national uptake. Experts will be on hand at the following events to highlight the benefits of a greener home.

Saturday 1 May: The Big Debate, 1-2pm
Kevin McCloud introduces a discussion on the Great British Refurb Campaign, with experts from WWF and Knauf Insulation providing information on how homeowners can go about retrofitting their homes – transforming them from old homes to “super homes.” Will Homoky, who won a green home makeover, discusses his experience of retrofitting from understanding different types of home insulation to fitting solar panels.

Friday 7 May: The Big Debate, 1-2pm
You’ve decided to retrofit your home, but where should you put your money? This discussion featuring representatives from the house building sector and the Great British Refurb Campaign, looks at the costs involved in achieving a low carbon home and the pros and cons of retrofitting an old property versus buying a new energy efficient home.

How To Sessions
Saturday 1 May, 3.30-4.15pm
Thursday 6 May, 12.45-1.45pm
Spokespeople from the Great British Refurb Campaign provide advice on How to choose the right retrofit options in this informal Q&A session.

For further information or images, please contact:
Debbie Chapman, Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK, tel: 01483 412397, 07900 670282 email: dchapman@wwf.org.uk

Notes to Editors
For more information on the Great British Refurb Campaign visit http://www.greatbritishrefurb.co.uk/

For information on Grand Designs Live, including tickets and venue information visit http://www.granddesignslive.com/

A new, warmer Arctic cannot continue to operate under rules that assume it is ice-covered and essentially closed to fishing, exploration, development and shipping, WWF said today. WWF is launching a set of reports on the protection required for this newly accessible, highly vulnerable environment with profound significance for global climate, economy and security.

The International Governance and Regulation of the Marine Arctic reports were launched in Denmark as Russian president Medvedev visits Norwegian capital Oslo for talks which will include Arctic issues and just before the Arctic Council meets in Greenland.

“The melting of the Arctic ice is opening a new ocean, bringing new possibilities for commercial activities in a part of the world that has previously been inaccessible,” said Lasse Gustavsson, incoming executive conservation director for WWF-International and currently CEO of WWF-Sweden. “What happens in the Arctic has a global environmental and economic impact. For instance, more than a quarter of the fish eaten in Europe comes from the region, and yet we do not have effective rules for fishing in newly accessible areas.”

The Arctic may well be ice free in the summers within decades. Commercial ships have recently successfully sailed the Northern Sea Route above Siberia, and ship yards are getting more and more orders for tankers capable of dealing with remnant ice.

Accelerating oil and gas exploration is raising the prospects of Exxon Valdez scenarios – spills in highly susceptible environments in the absence of clean-up rules and infrastructure. A related issue is the impact on marine mammals and fish from noise generated by shipping and seismic activity to locate hydrocarbon deposits.

There are three reports in the set. The first looks at how today’s international legal regime meets the challenges posed by the unprecedented rapid change taking place in the Arctic. It concludes there are large gaps in governance and management regimes, with loopholes that could allow irreparable damage to the marine environment, its biodiversity and Indigenous peoples. The responsibilities and mechanisms for keeping marine resource extraction within sustainable limits are unclear and so are the responsibilities and mechanisms for preventing or responding to pollution accidents and shipping disasters.

The second report outlines the various options for addressing the identified gaps in governance and the third proposes a new arctic framework convention as a legally-binding instrument that could help ensure the future protection of the Arctic region.

“It’s time to recognise that the current international rules just can’t cope with the complex challenges of the Arctic region.” said David Norman, Director of Campaigns at WWF-UK. “The ice has protected the Arctic Ocean for hundreds of years; we have collectively removed that protection though our contributions to climate change, and now we must work together to manage the new risks we have created.”

For further information:

Benjamin Ward, head of press, WWF-UK: bward@wwf.org.uk, +44 7837 134 193
Lasse Gustavsson, incoming executive conservation director at WWF International and currently CEO of WWF-Sweden: lasse.gustavsson@wwf.se, +46 70 105 30 55
Dr. Tatiana Saksina, arctic governance officer, WWF International Arctic Programme: tsaksina@wwfint.org, + 41 79 535 28 26

To download the full report: http://assets.panda.org/downloads/3in1_final.pdf

A proposal announced yesterday by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) would, if adopted, endorse the killing of whales in vital  feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean for the first time in almost 25 years.

In preparation for the G20 Summit scheduled for 26-27 June in Toronto, G20 finance ministers will meet in Washington DC from April 22-23. It is the group’s first meeting on climate following the December UN climate summit

It is also their first opportunity to respond to the outcomes of the Copenhagen climate negotiations, and in particular contribute to meeting the financial commitments made under the agreement reached by heads of government in Copenhagen.

Also on the Finance ministers’ agenda is the instruction from the June 2009 G20 summit for the development of a plan and time-line to phase out ‘inefficient’ fossil fuel subsidies, including production subsidies.

WWF is anxious to see G20 action to help lay the foundation for an adequate and equitable post-2012 global climate fund, which could move the world towards sustainable, low carbon growth.

Ending subsidies favouring fossil fuels in accordance with the G20’s own agenda, and resourcing renewable energy development instead, will be crucial to both the transition to a clean economy and countering climate change.
“G20 Finance Ministers must discuss the investments needed for the transition to a clean, low-carbon economy, while finding ways to help vulnerable countries build their resilience to the impacts of climate change,” said Mark Lutes, Finance Policy Coordinator for WWF International.
“Shifting subsidies from fossil fuels into renewable energy development is one of the ways forward towards a clean economy.”
“G20 Finance Ministers will need to act on this commitment and provide a plan and time-line to not just phase out but re-direct these subsidies.”

KEY ISSUES:

- This G20 finance meeting occurs in the same week as climate legislation is set to be introduced in the US Senate. The G20 Finance Ministers should remind the U.S Senate of the need for the U.S Climate Bill to include substantial, predictable and long term funding flows including REDD, adaptation and technology cooperation.

- The co-chair for the next G20 Summit in June is Canada. Canada is one of the few countries remaining to put forward a fast-track climate financing contribution. Canada must show leadership as host by providing its fair share of at least US$300–400 million per year in new funds from 2010 to 2012.

WWF urges the G20 Finance Ministers to work towards resolving the following issues:
- Redirection of Fossil Fuel Subsidies: Building on the agreement at the G20 meeting in 2009 to remove fossil fuel subsidies, countries should further agree to redirect those subsidies towards clean energy, adaptation, and reducing deforestation.
- Efforts to support low-carbon development in poor countries must be matched by similar steps to ‘de-carbonise’ the global economy. The G20 should put renewable energy investment and energy efficiency at the forefront of their efforts as part of a managed transition towards low-carbon economies.
- Focus on a full range of options on new and innovative sources of finance, including revenue from measures to tackle aviation and shipping emissions, auctioning of Assigned Amount Units (AAU) or allowances in cap and trade systems, special drawing rights (as proposed by IMF) and international Financial Transaction Taxes (FTT) or other instruments. The Finance Ministers are expecting a report on ways of generating revenue from the finance sector from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which will discuss Financial Transaction Taxes. FTT entail very small levies on international financial transactions such as currency transactions, which could be a significant source of income for climate change action and other purposes.

- G20 Finance ministers should also discuss short-term climate financing and particularly consider how to ensure distribution of the promised USD 30 billion in order to deal with climate change from now to 2012, and ensure that this is truly additional to current Overseas Development Aid (ODA).

- G20 Finance ministers should discuss long-term climate financing, particularly sources of the $100 billion a year by 2020 as agreed in Copenhagen; these funds are to be used to support climate action in developing countries

For further information, please contact:

Jo Sargent
Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK
01483 412 375
07867 697 519

Millions of people around the world joined forces today to make WWF’s Earth Hour, an annual global event that highlights public support for action on climate change, the biggest switch off ever.

In total, all seven continents, 125 countries, and more than 4,000 cities and towns took part in the event, which asked people to sign up and switch off their lights for one hour, to show that they care about tackling climate change.

The world’s great man-made marvels and natural wonders were plunged into darkness, from the Eiffel Tower, the Las Vegas Strip and the Empire State Building, to Table Mountain, Mount Rushmore and the Sydney Opera House. Key participating UK landmarks included Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Number 10 Downing Street, Edinburgh Castle, Belfast City Hall and Wales Millennium Stadium.

“The largest ever number of countries, people and landmarks joined forces for Earth Hour this year. It was a visible demonstration of the enormous level of support there is around the world, for a united effort to tackle climate change,” said David Nussbaum, CEO of WWF-UK. “WWF now asks that World Leaders listen to the millions of people who took part, and finish the job they started in Copenhagen last year by creating a fair and ambitious global climate deal.”

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, praised the event, saying:

“Earth Hour is both a warning and a beacon of hope.  By switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people will join a symbolic display that can inspire the change we so urgently need.  As we watch the lights go out from continent to continent, let us reflect on the fragility and importance of our natural heritage and pledge to protect it for a sustainable future for all.”

Highlights of Earth Hour 2010 included:

• Earth Hour has consistently been trending in the top three topics on Twitter for the last 24 hours
• In the 24 hours before Earth Hour, Google registered 56.1 million mentions of Earth Hour
• Major icons in Paris went dark for Earth Hour including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the Louvre as well as every single bridge across the Seine
• Brandenburg gate led Germany’s Earth Hour, joined by Munich, Hamburg and Cologne
• The Fontana de Trevi and Jet d’eau in Geneva joined the  Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Coliseum, Acropolis and the Parthenon
• The Bosphorous Bridge in Turkey connecting Asia with Europe went dark for EH
• The Pyramids and Sphinx, the Citadels in Oman and Cairo, the world’s tallest building in Dubai and city of Casablanca, Morocco all joined Earth Hour this year.
• The Blue House (residence of the President of Korea) takes South Korea’s involvement from 43 buildings in Seoul last year to more than 100 cities and towns this year.
• Mexico City and Cancun headed up EH in Mexico with 11 states participating and major icons going dark including Angel of Independence and House of Government
• In Brazil, both the Federal House of Representatives and the Federal Senate participated
• In Tuvalu the government asked that no vehicles should be on the road during Earth Hour.
• The Prime Minister and President of Pakistan turned off their lights for EH.
• 31 State Governors supported Earth Hour in the US and icons switching off include Empire State, Las Vegas Strip, Golden Gate Bridge and Mount Rushmore

IMAGES AND SPOKESPEOPLE AVAILABLE – PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION
 
- ends -

Editor’s notes

Interviews with WWF spokespeople are available – please contact:
Benjamin Ward, Head of Press, 07837 134 193

Where to source WWF photography of global switch-off:

Images will first be uploaded to the address below:
• Imagery and video showing the switch off around UK and the globe will be available to download from http://earthhour.panda.org and http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhour_global immediately as available.
 
They will also later be available on the FTP site listed below:
• UK images will also be available by FTP.
  
            Host name: adl.wwf.org.uk
            Username: earthhour
            Password: wwfea2010

If there are any problems, please contact Jo Sargent, Senior Press Officer,  07867 697 519

About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative.  Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour each year, in order to show their support for action on climate change.  The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, participation swelled to hundreds of millions as 4159 cities, towns and municipalities in 88 countries and many of the world’s best known landmarks participated.

About WWF
WWF-UK is the UK arm of the WWF Network, the world’s leading environmental organisation founded in 1961 and now active in over 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Using our unique combination of practical experience, knowledge and credibility, our 300-strong staff work with governments, businesses and communities both here in the UK and around the world so that people and nature thrive within their fair share of the planet’s natural resources.

Jo Sargent
Senior Press Officer, WWF-UK
01483 412 375
07867 697 519