Earth Hour 2021: How to take part in the movement in Hong Kong

The first thing you can do is to join millions of homes across the world and turn off non-essential lights for one hour on Saturday, March 27 at 8.30pm. In Hong Kong, hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton, The St. Regis Hong Kong, JW Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, SkyCity Marriott Hotel, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, Renaissance Harbour View Hotel, among others, will participate by switching off non-essential lighting at the back-of-the-house areas, offices, hotel facade, outdoor areas, restaurants, and executive lounges, as well as suspending operation on select escalators. For one hour, these hotels will be using candles as lights in their designated F&B facilities and encourage hotel guests to switch off unnecessary lights or unplug electrical appliances in the rooms. 

This year, WWF-Hong Kong calls for everyone's commitment to reduce their own carbon footprint and safeguard our oceans. Individuals, schools, and organisations can renew their pledge in choosing sustainable seafood, saying no to single-use plastics, and supporting WWF's efforts for a development-free Dolphin Conservation Management Area in western and southern Lantau waters by 2024, and the designation of 30 percent of Hong Kong waters to be Marine Protected Areas by 2030. Visit earthhour.wwf.org.hk to participate. 

If you have extra time this weekend and are looking for an engaging day out in nature, gather your family and friends for a fun time at Mai Po Nature Reserve. Participants can choose from two routes: Mai Po Wanderers (starts at $350, with an optional Floating Boardwalk Tour) that includes a tour around the wetlands, birdwatching, and a chance to meet with the reserve's two new resident water buffaloes; and Wetlands Exploration (starts at $550) where guests can enjoy a tour along the mangrove forest accompanied by a professional eco-guide, and join activities like the removing of an exotic invasive plant called Mikania, a ceramic workshop, postcard drawing, and DIY sustainable shopping bag and plant pot workshops. Book your spot on this link.   

Wine and dine by candlelight at some of the city's stellar culinary venues. Landmark Mandarin Oriental's establishments including Amber, Somm, MO Bar, PDT will be joining the symbolic one-hour lights-out event and serving their offerings under candlelight along with some select Earth Hour menus on offer. One Michelin-starred restaurant Roganic and its chef's table Aulis are also turning off their lights and treating guests to a complimentary locally-grown nasturtium plant from Common Farms (a network of farms providing low-carbon-footprint microgreens, edible flowers, and herbs to various restaurants in the city).