Turn off the lights for 1hr – Guests are asked to step out of their rooms. 12 hotels join “Earth Hour”

▲At least 12 hotel operators have joined the “Earth Hour” campaign, turning off lights for 1hr to encourage guests to step out. (Left photo / provided by HH Group; right photo / provided by Yunglo Group)

Reported by Lin Yuling, Taipei

The 2016 “Earth Hour” campaign is set to kick off on March 19. At least 12 hotels in Taiwan have pledged to participate by turning off their lights for one hour from 8:30 to 9:30 pm that evening, encouraging guests to leave their rooms. This initiative is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),which in the past has seen participation from over 162 countries, more than 7,000 cities, and reaching at least 200 million people, allowing the Earth to rest in darkness for an hour to save energy and reduce carbon emissions.

Currently, three hotels under the HH Group – Sheraton, Les Suites Hotel Taipei, and Les Suites Hotel Alexandra – along with nine hotels under the Yunglo Group – The Regent Taipei, Hotel Royal Spa Resort, HOTEL COZZI (Xinzhuang, Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, Hualien), and CHATEAU de CHINE (Taichung, Miaoli, Chiayi) – have officially announced their participation in “Earth Hour.”They will turn off their lights for one hour on the evening of March 19 from 8:30 to 9:30.They are encouraging everyone to leave their guest rooms to show love for the Earth, and have also launched special activities in conjunction with the lights-out event.

In the previous year, “Earth Hour” introduced the Earth Hour Blue platform, initiated in Singapore, bringing together global efforts to raise funds and take concrete actions for important environmental issues. In addition, from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, Africa to the Americas, many iconic buildings turned off their lights for an hour, while people from all walks of life paid greater attention to and protected our shared home.

Fu Runpei, Deputy General Manager of Taipei Les Suites Hotel, also stated that it’s not just about this brief one-hour event. He invited everyone to consume mindfully and reduce unnecessary waste of resources — whether it’s turning off a light in the room, choosing ingredients with a lower carbon footprint, buying one less new piece of clothing, or shortening a two-minute shower... Every small but active effort will contribute globally to reducing carbon emissions and conserving the Earth’s energy.

Mr. Hugo Sheng, General Manager of Les Suites Hotel Alexandra, added that guided by the principles of environmental protection and sustainable management, the hotel’s design and construction have been committed to minimizing environmental impact. The building makes extensive use of floor-to-ceiling windows to bring in natural light, includes green landscape areas, and utilizes a variety of natural ingredients as well as eco-certified paper, actively promoting the concept of a greener lifestyle.

The Yunglo Tourism Group has also received awards such as the “Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction Action Label” excellence award, green service provider certification, low-carbon hotel certification, and excellence in environmentally friendly hotel certification. It also offers a range of eco-themed activities and accommodation packages, encouraging guests to enjoy discounted rates for bringing their own toiletries, providing bicycle rentals, and advocating care for environmental resources.

▲The “Earth Hour” (Earth Hour) campaign encourages everyone to turn off their lights for more than one hour to give the Earth a breather. (Photo /wikipedia)