Benidorm joins ‘Earth Hour’ and will switch off some emblematic spaces tomorrow

Benidorm City Council has once again joined the ‘Earth Hour’ initiative, promoted worldwide by WWF, which involves switching off the lights of iconic landmarks around the world for 60 minutes as a symbol of the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. Originating 20 years ago in Sydney, ‘Earth Hour’ will be celebrated tomorrow, Saturday, March 28, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m.

The Councillor for the Environment, Mónica Gómez, announced that “for 60 minutes, Benidorm City Council will switch off the lights at some of the city's most iconic and emblematic landmarks, such as El Tossal, the Castle, the City Hall façade, the Serra Gelada Cross monument, the ornamental lighting on the wall of the Paseo de Poniente, and the string lights on the Paseo de Levante,” in the section between Avenida de Europa and Rincón de Loix. This action aims to “draw the attention of residents and tourists to the environmental degradation our planet is suffering and give it an hour's respite.”

Gómez added that “Benidorm is a leading city in sustainability, both in its design and its management, constantly promoting and implementing measures that contribute to the fight against climate change.” In fact, she emphasised, “we were pioneers in developing a Climate Change Action Plan, a document that has become a guide and roadmap for designing municipal actions and policies.”

Just in the area of ​​energy, and as an example, the councilwoman recalled, “years ago we began the renovation of the city's lighting and public illumination to implement LED technology in most of Benidorm's light points to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions and improve lighting conditions.” She added that other projects have also been undertaken, such as “the installation of solar panels on municipal buildings, public schools, community centers, and sports facilities to generate their own electricity, which has also significantly reduced emissions and energy consumption.”

To date, according to WWF data, 427 municipalities in Spain—59 of them in the Valencian Community—106 organisations, and 105 companies, including a hotel chain in the city, have joined the Earth Hour campaign. The city councillor for the Environment indicated that, in addition to the institutional and business sectors, citizens can also participate individually on Saturday by turning off the lights.

The text, which draws attention to the effects of global warming, also offers an optimistic perspective because “if we have learned anything during this time, it is that there is hope when we act together: collective action fosters agreements, accelerates clean energy, protects ecosystems, and helps species recover. Nature responds when we give it a chance, and every little bit helps.”