Malta will be joining major cities and world landmarks plunging into darkness this evening as a symbolic energy-saving exercise unfolds across the globe in a collective commitment to protect the one thing that unites us all – the planet.

Hundreds of millions of people are set to take part in the Earth Hour climate change campaign, which this year will also mark Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.

Lights will be switched off for an hour at 8.30 p.m. at Portes des Bombes, the Sta Venera aqueduct, George Bonello Du Puis Garden in Qui-si-Sana and the Aurora Opera House, Cittadella bastions and Banca Giuratale in Gozo.

Ta’ Xbiex, Xewkija and Għargħur councils will be joining the initiative by switching off lights on historic buildings.

Several hotels will also switch off the lighting of parts of their façades.

As part of Starwood Hotels worldwide, Westin Dragonara Resort and Le Méridien St Julian’s Hotel and Spa will observe Earth Hour by taking energy-saving measures for one full hour.

The Westin will take several measures such as turning off exterior signage lighting; dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting; using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars; and informing guests about the hotel’s observation of Earth Hour through in-room voicemail messages and guest room television messages.

Le Méridien St Julian’s will be exhibiting entries of children who took part in a competition themed Mother Earth at the KuDéTa Bar and Lounge.

Besides the exhibition, the hotel will also be respecting the Earth Hour electricity curfew – the hotel will turn off its electricity and all patrons will also be invited to participate in a candlelit evening at the hotel.

There will also be a Happy Hour at the bar during Earth Hour, during which clients will receive a free drink with every drink purchased.

Hilton Malta will also be doing its bit towards improving sustainability. Earth Hour will be celebrated through a variety of activities including switching off main building exterior lighting and rooftop neon signage; dimming interior lights in the lobby and reception area; encouraging guests to switch off their room lights and staging special candle-lit dinners.

Environmental group WWF International helped initiate Earth Hour in Sydney in 2007, when two million people in one city switched off their lights. By 2010, Earth Hour had created history as the largest voluntary action ever witnessed with participation across 128 countries and territories and every continent, including the world’s most recognised man-made marvels and natural wonders in a landmark environmental action.

More than 1,000 of the world’s man-made marvels and natural wonders, including the pyramids in Egypt, Eiffel Tower, Empire State Building, Niagara Falls, Beijing’s Forbidden City, Cape Town’s Table Mountain, Sydney Opera House, Buckingham Palace and Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, stood in darkness ­symbolising a landmark moment in the planet’s environmental consciousness.

A record 133 countries and territories are registered to take part this year and many global organisations will join the hundreds of millions that are once again expected to take part.

The first lights going off today will be in Fiji and New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, before cities and landmarks around the world follow suit.

In Sydney and other cities, some Earth Hour events will hold a minute’s silence to mark the devastating 9.0-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami in Japan this month that left more than 25,000 people dead or missing.

The disaster followed a deadly earthquake in New Zealand’s Christchurch and massive floods in Australia in January, which devastated thousands of homes and ruined crops and infrastructure.

The Earth Hour movement, which aims to raise awareness about climate change by switching off lights for 60 minutes, hopes to bring people together to think about what they can do to reduce harmful carbon pollution blamed for rising temperatures.

This year marks the beginning of a new phase for Earth Hour – beyond the hour – with the launch of an online platform that aims to inspire and showcase positive actions the global community will take for the planet throughout the year. The platform, translated into 11 languages, allows businesses, governments and individuals all over the world to commit to an ongoing environmental action and share it to inspire others.

www.earthhour.org