Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Today, Philips announced its support of Earth Hour in the UAE with a donation of 1,500 energy efficient bulbs to be included in the Earth Hour packs developed by Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF). Philips, the world’s leading lighting company is urging everyone not only to join in the Earth Hour movement, but when the lights are switched back on, make the switch to energy efficient lamps and solutions allowing us all to reap the life-long benefits.
Earth Hour is a global environmental movement aimed at driving awareness and action on climate change. Residents and businesses are encouraged to switch off all lights and appliances for one hour between 8.30PM and 9.30PM every year. This year, Earth Hour will be observed across the world on Saturday, 29 March 2014.
| For the UAE, the upcoming Earth Hour is very significant, following a recent announcement by the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Meteorology (ESMA) banning the sale and use of all inefficient forms of lighting in a bid to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in the UAE. The ban will come into effect on July 1 and retailers will remove stocks of inefficient light bulbs from all stores. |
“Energy consumption is a very crucial topic worldwide. Earth Hour is a great initiative to drive conversation about sustainability and make people more aware of the impact their individual choices make to a country’s sustainability efforts. We are very proud that Philips can join this conversation and help make a positive difference to the society we live in,” explains Paolo Cervini, General Manager, Philips Lighting Middle East & Turkey.
| “Today Earth Hour is much more than just a symbolic action of switching off lights for an hour at the same time every year. It is a movement driving real actions that are changing our world and that is the reason behind asking the UAE community to make the switch to energy efficient lighting this Earth Hour. We would like to thank Philips Lighting Middle East for their support for Earth Hour and for donating energy efficient bulbs. We also thank everyone in the community using their power and Earth Hour to make a sustainable change beyond the Hour and making the switch to energy efficient lighting and thereby helping to reduce the ecological footprint of our country,” says Ida Tillisch, Director General EWS-WWF. |
Philips believes that the key factors that will drive the change are awareness and education on the benefits of energy-efficient lighting solutions. “By switching to energy efficient lighting, such as LED bulbs, people can save up to 80% in energy consumption and enjoy reduced costs,” says Cervini. “Philips Lighting has continually encouraged consumers to make the simple switch to energy-efficient lighting solutions, which will massively impact the country’s sustainability initiatives and green ratings. There is a wide range to choose from today that will result in a better tomorrow.”
There are a full range of replacements available to consumers including: halogen, compact fluorescent and LED which are all retrofit solutions for current lighting fixtures, including candles for chandeliers which are popular in the UAE.
Philips has also introduced a 60W replacement in warm white, to replace the most common light bulb in UAE homes. The 9.5W LED bulb provides up to 85% energy savings for the user and emits a pleasant bright light for multiple uses in the home. The Philips LED will last up to 15 years during normal use.
*Philips LED 9.5W is available in the UAE now.
It is time to make the switch now. To learn more about how to choose the best energy efficient lighting for your needs: http://www.mea.lighting.philips.com/connect/maketheswitch.wpd
To learn more about Philips support of Earth Hour please visit:
http://www.mea.lighting.philips.com/connect/earthhour2014.wpd