34 finalists from 14 participating countries have been selected from among 163 entrants in this year’s Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC). An expert jury will review the actions and commitments reported by these cities and identify one sustainability leader per country for the National Earth Hour Capital Awards, to be presented on 27 March 2014 in Vancouver (Canada). ICLEI Europe members include the Brussels Capital Region (Belgium), Copenhagen (Denmark), Stockholm (Sweden) and Vaxjo (Sweden).

The EHCC project, founded by the WWF, aims to mobilise action and support from cities towards a transition to renewable energy. “It’s very inspiring to see the increasing number of cities striving to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and making great strides in the transition towards a renewable energy future”, says Carina Borgström-Hansson of WWF Sweden. The public are encouraged to show their support for their city through the We Love Cities campaign. Visitors can vote for their favourites among the 34 finalist cities, and share photos and videos of their city. Suggestions can also be given on ways to further improve the sustainability of urban areas.

WWF has worked closely with ICLEI throughout the campaign. “As a main partner, ICLEI is proud to support WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge as it grows to become an essential global initiative for rewarding cities’ sustainability achievements through the active participation of our member cities, regional offices and through our global reporting platform, carbonn Cities Climate Registry,” says Gino Van Begin, Secretary General of ICLEI.

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