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SA's tech firms back Earth Hour

Lezette Engelbrecht
By Lezette Engelbrecht, ITWeb online features editor
Johannesburg, 29 Mar 2012

On Saturday, 31 March, hundreds of millions of people around the world will turn off their lights in celebration of Earth Hour, and SA's tech companies are doing their bit to promote the cause.

Now in its fifth year, Earth Hour is a global initiative to raise awareness around climate change and the environment, and sees homes and businesses switch off non-essential lighting between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on 31 March. More than 5 200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide took part in 2011, including a number of iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, the Christ Redeemer Statue and the Empire State Building.

Many local companies have taken on the “I will if you will” theme of this year's campaign, whereby celebrities and individuals pledge to do various daring acts if others commit to positive actions for the environment.

Altron Group, for example, is switching its lights off for an hour on Friday afternoon as a company action, and challenging employees to participate in their personal capacity at home. “Since Earth Hour falls on a Saturday, we have spread this campaign over the course of two days,” says Altron sustainability manager Jannette Horn.

The company has extended the same challenge to employees at its subsidiaries Altech, Bytes and Powertech. “We have arranged with our facilities managers to ensure that all our office lights are also switched off between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on 31 March (excluding the security lights).”

Horn says the company's Earth Hour commitment forms part of its group-wide Envirowatch campaign, an internal programme aiming to reduce its carbon footprint through recycling, waste minimisation, paper saving, and energy saving.

Dimension Data has also encouraged employees to support the cause on Saturday by switching off their lights. Its Middle East and Africa operation is running a competition giving employees a chance to win a digital camera worth $500, by submitting photos of themselves with friends, family and fellow eco-warriors celebrating Earth Hour.

“Dimension Data has been a long-time supporter of Earth Hour, the sixth annual global lights-out event, promoting it to its employees and finding various ways to go beyond the organised display of environmental action,” says solutions executive for DiData Middle East and Africa, Anton Jooste.

He adds that these efforts form part of the company's broader sustainability strategy, including certified environmental management systems and a carbon management plan.

On the telcos' side, Vodacom has committed to turning off all non-essential lighting in 15 offices around SA, as well as on all major advertising billboards and signage.

“Although Earth Hour lasts only one hour, the awareness it creates for the importance of sustainable practices around the world is priceless, which is why we are committed to showing our support,” says Suraya Hamdulay, executive head of corporate citizenship at Vodacom.

“Switching off our lights serves as a vital reminder to individuals, businesses and countries that even the smallest gesture can make a big difference to our environment.”

Hamdulay adds that, while Earth Hour is an important initiative, action can't stop at that one hour. “The future of sustainability is very exciting, and the telecommunications industry has the expertise to make a real difference in the way we operate as well as to introduce environmentally-conscious business practices.”

Telkom will switch off the lights at two of its major landmarks - the Lukasrand tower, in Pretoria, and the Hillbrow tower, in Johannesburg. It has also encouraged employees to take part, with the aim of bettering the 16 000 employee pledges made last year.

IBM staff members are taking up the call for candlelit dinners on Saturday, while the lights at IBM Park will automatically turn off along with servers and other hardware not at work. “Sustainability and energy efficiency are a 365-day focus and these efforts are all about supporting a drive towards a smarter planet,” the company says.

Siemens is switching off non-essential lighting at its corporate headquarters in Midrand, as well as other locations like the manufacturing facility, in North Riding. It has encouraged employees to support the cause and its billboard along the N1 highway features a message encouraging the public to switch off their home lights on Saturday.

“As part of our Earth Hour activities, Siemens has also partnered with Osram (a Siemens company) in an 'energy swap' initiative on Monday, 2 April,” says corporate sustainability manager Louwrens Visser. “We are encouraging employees to bring their old incandescent light bulbs and exchange them for energy-efficient bulbs.

“It is very important for Siemens to also 'walk the talk' and we have internal targets of 20% energy efficiency and 20% water efficiency in our own operations across the world,” adds Visser.

“Earth hour is a small, simple action, but one which is very visible and unites people around the world to take action.”

ITWeb announced its own Earth Hour initiative yesterday, pledging to plant one tree for every 10 readers who commit to supporting Earth Hour. It has also encouraged employees to take part in their personal capacity.

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