Lights to go off at Etihad to celebrate Earth Hour

Etihad, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will turn off the lights across its major facilities in Abu Dhabi for one hour this weekend in celebration of the global sustainability initiative, Earth Hour.

On Saturday, March 26, the airline will black out all non-essential lighting in its Abu Dhabi Headquarters, Training Academy and parking between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm, local Abu Dhabi time.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are proud to share this experience with the rest of the world in support of the environment. At Etihad, we are committed to action when it comes to mitigating negative impacts of our operations on the environment, including minimising our fuel use and emissions, wisely using our power, water and other resources, and recycling wherever possible. This has led to us working closely with Masdar and other Abu Dhabi companies”.

Baumgartner was one of the speakers at a seminar this week organised by Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) at ADAC headquarters to mark Earth Hour, which included an inspirational presentation from Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Ali Al Nuaimi of the ruling family of Ajman, popularly known as the “Green Sheikh” for his eco-friendly initiatives.

The seminar was part of a host of initiatives launched by Etihad to promote awareness of Earth Hour and encourage long term commitment to environment-friendly lifestyle changes from its staff.

During 2011, Etihad will continue to monitor and measure its energy expenditure to find ways to become more efficient in its operations and across the airline’s supply chain.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned off their lights for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later, Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating.