The United Nations will switch off the light at all its buildings on Saturday evening to mark Earth Hour, the organization said in a statement published on its website.
"Tomorrow evening, at 8.30pm, lights will be go out across the world in celebration of Earth Hour," the statement said. "Earth Hour is a reminder to us all that we only have one planet Earth. And it's an urgent message that we want to reduce the impact our energy system has on that planet."
Earth Hour is organized annually on the last Saturday of March by the World Wildlife Fund. The initiative traces its origin back to Australia in 2007 when businesses and residents in Sydney turned off their lights for one hour to make a statement about energy use and global warming. Four years later, it is the largest voluntary event in history.
"All over the world individuals, communities, businesses and governments are creating new examples for our common future - new visions for sustainable living and new technologies to realize it," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was quoted in the statement as saying.
"Tomorrow, let us join together to celebrate this shared quest to protect the planet and ensure human well-being. Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light."
Ban has asked for all UN buildings to go dark, including the Headquarters Building in New York, which is currently under renovation, the statement said.
More than 4,000 cities from 131 countries, including Russia's capital, Moscow, and about 750 major landmarks will turn off their lights during the global Earth Hour event on Saturday, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said on Friday.
MOSCOW, March 25 (RIA Novosti)
