Earth Hour 2015: the facades of the Committees go dark!

During the weekend of 28-29 March, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) as well as the Committee of the Regions (CoR) will switch off the lights at the facade of their main building, situated on Rue Belliard, as part of the worldwide "Earth Hour" initiative.

By participating in this initiative for the seventh consecutive year, the CESE and the CoR aim to contribute symbolically to energy saving and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This is done in light of fighting global climate change.

But the Committees also aim to "go beyond the hour" by reducing the environmental impact of their activities at the political and the practical level. This is particularly visible in our environmental management system (EMAS) - the achieved results are described in the environmental statement - but it is also visible in concrete acts such as the exclusive use of green energy and the installation of photovoltaic panels. Since 2008, the Committees have managed to reduce their gas consumption by 52% and their electricity consumption by 21%.

Earth Hour is an initiative that was launched for the first time in 2007 by WWF. By inviting everyone to switch off their lights and to unplug all their electrical devices during one hour, this initiative aims to promote energy saving and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This year, Earth Hour will take place on Saturday 28 March at 8.30 PM. The Committees organise some awareness raising activities for their staff: guided visits to the technical installations (heating/cooling/ventilation), the photovoltaic panels and the green roofs are organised. The staff will also be able to test their knowledge on energy and climate change by participating in an online quiz.

For further information on the Committees' participation in Earth Hour, or for general information about the EMAS project, please contact environment.