Hilton Hotels in Middle East & Africa will support global Earth Hour initiative that will see 44 hotels in 14 countries switching off non-essential lighting and appliances for one hour.

The initiative will start at 8pm (local time) on March 29, 2008.

The initiative began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 to underscore the connection between energy usage and climate change. Dubai became the first Arab city to declare its support for what organisers anticipate will be the largest voluntary power shutdown in history, with communities in over 14 time zones participating, said an official spokesman.

“We whole-heartedly support Dubai’s call to action on global warming as an extension of our dedication to the communities in which we work, operate and live. We took the decision to expand the initiative across our 44-strong portfolio of hotels in Middle East & Africa because of the universality of this campaign, which gives us the opportunity to do something relatively simple that has serious and lasting ramifications. We must all work together to ensure that we preserve our resources for future generations,” said president, Hilton Hotels, Middle East & Africa, Jean-Paul Herzog.

Hilton has committed to the full roster of recommendations for hotels issued by the World Wildlife Fund, which include soliciting guests’ voluntary support for the initiative, limiting lighting in restaurants to candlelight and switching off all exterior and back of house lighting.

Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort is championing the light-saving drive with candlelit dinners in its three popular restaurants BiCE, Pachanga and Oceana.

Meanwhile, Hilton Dahab Resort in Egypt has taken up the initiative with enthusiasm, declaring its own Earth Hour on the 26th of each month as part of its ongoing environmental programme.

Other environmental measures taken by Hilton Hotels wordwide including Middle East & Africa is a water conservation programme, ‘Conserve to Preserve.’

By asking guests when they would like their sheets and towels changed, over 12 million gallons of fresh water are saved per month. Furthermore, Hilton has implemented a corporate-wide energy efficient lighting retrofit programme for guestrooms.

By using state-of-the-art compact fluorescent and other lighting technology, Hilton provides an environment that guests desire, while significantly reducing the use of natural resources that are utilised to power products. – TradeArabia News Service