These Swiss municipalities are switching off the lights tonight

Tonight at 20.30, the lights will go out for one hour in many places in Switzerland. During "Earth Hour ", municipalities are setting an example for climate protection, and private individuals are also called upon to take part in the campaign, according to WWF Switzerland.

This year, the cities of Bern, Lenzburg AG, Lucerne, Morges and Montreux in the canton of Vaud, Fribourg, Lausanne, Geneva and the Ticino towns of Chiasso, Mendrisio and Locarno are taking part in Earth Hour. Geneva, for example, is switching off the lights of the "Jet d'Eau". The Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich will also remain in the dark for an hour.

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Last year, around 1.4 million hours of lighting were saved worldwide. In Switzerland, more than 25 municipalities took part in 2024, reports the WWF. They switched off the lights on their landmarks. Companies and individuals also took part in the campaign. At Paradeplatz in Zurich, for example, the lights of the major bank UBS were switched off for an hour.

Humanity is facing the hottest year and the hottest decade since records began. The seas are also hotter than ever before. The effects of the climate crisis are also being felt in Switzerland. The number of hot days is increasing, summers are becoming drier and rainfall is becoming heavier. In the last three years, the temperature in Switzerland has been above the pre-industrial average, the WWF added.

2024 was the warmest year on record.

Meteoschweiz/C3S/ECMWF