Jakarta (16/3) - "Shine A Light on Climate Action - from Moment to Movement", is the theme carried by Earth Hour 2017 entering its tenth year of celebration in the world, and the ninth year in Indonesia. All parties are invited to turn on real action to change lifestyles to reduce ecological footprints and greenhouse gas emissions for the preservation of the earth.

Benja Mambai, PLT CEO WWF Indonesia again invited the participation of various parties in the Earth Hour celebration. "I invite individuals, groups, schools, city governments, corporate and government offices, as well as office buildings and shopping centers, to turn off their lights for one hour, from 20:30 to 21:30 local time, as a symbol of concern for the increasingly alarming conditions of nature and climate," he said in the opening of a press conference at Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, Thursday, March 16, 2017.

"After the one-hour action, I also invite all parties to be part of the #IniAksiku movement #SejutaAksi Earth Hour Indonesia community, to collect shopping bags as an effort to reduce plastic waste," Benja continued.

The #SejutaAksi movement invites one million individuals (or groups) to make and donate used t-shirts to be used as reuseable shopping bags in an effort to reduce the use of plastic bags. This action will be carried out in at least 30 cities in Indonesia for 1 (one) year until March 2018. The collected shopping bag donations will be distributed to supermarkets and traditional markets.

This action continues and supports a movement for a plastic-free Indonesia 2020 which began on National Waste Awareness Day (February 21, 2017). Data from the Directorate General of Waste Management, Waste, and B3 of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), the total amount of waste could reach 68 million tons by 2019, with plastic waste estimated at 9.52 tons.

"Plastic waste is not only a government problem but all parties. The public must be invited to switch from plastic consumption to the use of shopping bags in their daily lives," said Nugie, Earth Hour Indonesia Ambassador. "Retailers should also actively campaign so that consumers are not spoiled by plastic bags. It is better to eliminate plastic bags and replace them with shopping bags that are more useful and can be used every time you shop," he said.

Besides Nugie, the movement is also supported by many public figures, including Sogi Indra Dhuaja, Davina Veronica, Jessica Mila, Michelle Joan, Arifin Putra, and Carlo Saba. Together, they will campaign for this #SejutaAksi movement on their social media channels.

Support from the business sector, among others, comes from Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta, which is celebrating Earth Hour again. Shangri-La has supported the Earth Hour campaign since 2010. "Earth Hour is not new to Shangri-La. We are committed to supporting conservation activities and implementing environmentally friendly and sustainable business practices," said Bintari Rarastiwi, CSR Manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta.

"Shangri-La has implemented many environmentally friendly initiatives such as waste management, educating guests, as well as educating all suppliers to our hotels to do business responsibly. We also provide assistance to schools around our hotels, so that the next generation has the knowledge and lifestyle to be better and environmentally friendly, "continued Bintari.

In addition to the Switch Off, Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta is also organizing a Sunday Market on March 26, 2017, which will feature products from selected local and eco-friendly food producers. Through this activity, Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta aims to educate guests and the public to prioritize the consumption of local produce over imported products to reduce the carbon footprint contribution made by the production, transportation and distribution of food from producers to consumers. During the Sunday Earth Market, Shangri-La Hotel Jakarta will also invite guests and other consumers to support the #SejutaAksi movement and donate used t-shirts to be used as shopping bags.

Parties who wish to participate in EARTH HOUR can register their activities on the website http://earthhour.wwf.or.id or www.earthhour.org. Individuals with a cause can register their cause at www.earthhourbuddies.com, and will be matched in cyberspace with other conservation-minded individuals running a 5K at the SunDown Marathon in Singapore. SunDown Marathon is also organized to coincide with Earth Hour.

This year's EARTH HOUR campaign is expected to mobilize more parties to take concrete actions in everyday life for the sustainability of natural resources and planet earth, not just a momentary ceremonial. The public can also support through social media channels (Donate your Facebook feed) by signing up through the website http://www.changeclimatechange.org/id_ID/ to continue to spread information and invitations to care for the environment.