wwf’s earth hour support pack for...

WWF’s Earth Hour Support pack for business

8:30pm 27 March 2010 wwf.org.uk/earthhour

www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour

Switch off and support WWF’s Earth Hour 2010On Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, we want a billion people around the world to switch off their lights for one hour – WWF’s Earth Hour – to show they want action to tackle climate change.

Why WWF’s Earth Hour is importantLast year, world leaders missed a critical opportunity at the UN climate summit to agree effective action to tackle climate change. With every delay the impacts of climate change on people and wildlife become more severe and the window of opportunity gets smaller. Supporting WWF’s Earth Hour will send a message to world leaders to finish the job and agree a binding, ambitious global climate deal.

Earth Hour – the global pictureHundreds of millions of people in over 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries turned off their lights for Earth Hour 2009. In the UK, over 200 landmarks switched off their lights, including the Millennium Stadium, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Edinburgh Castle and Stormont. Over 13 million UK citizens participated alongside more than 700 businesses, over a quarter of local authorities, more than 1,400 schools and 300 other organisations – all switching off their lights, and engaging staff and members.

Help us make WWF’s Earth Hour in 2010 an even greater success – sign up and support us online at wwf.org.uk/earthhour or text EARTH* to 88008.

* Terms and conditions: You will be charged £1 plus one message at your standard network rate. WWF will receive approximately 60p from each message sent. For help please telephone 01483 426333.

switch off and support WWF’s Earth Hour

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WWF and climate change

WWF works to create solutions to the most serious environmental problems facing our planet, so that people and nature can thrive.

Climate change is the most serious environmental problem we face. Changing weather patterns, warming seas and melting ice are already impacting on people and nature. We must take urgent global action if we’re to safeguard the natural world.

Staying below 2°CThe scientists agree. We must keep average global temperatures less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, or we face irreversible and devastating changes in the planet’s natural systems. WWF seeks cuts in emissions at the UK, EU and global level to help prevent this.

It is possibleLeading research – including WWF’s 2009 report, Climate Solutions 2 – shows that it is still possible to avoid the worst impacts of climate change by measures such as rapid deployment of clean energy solutions (which would address some 65% of global emissions) and stopping tropical deforestation (addressing around 20% of emissions).

With climate programmes in many key countries – such as the EU, China, India, Japan, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia and the US – the WWF global network is well placed to work on this agenda.

Make your voice heardIn December 2009, in Copenhagen, world leaders missed a massive opportunity to agree a global climate deal. However, with every year of delay, the human, ecological and economic effects of climate change will become more severe. To avoid a 2°C rise in temperature, global emissions must reach a peak by 2015 and decline thereafter, which means that the window of opportunity to take action is very small.

That’s why WWF is continuing to work for a fair, ambitious and binding global climate deal, and why Earth Hour 2010 is so important. This year, by taking part in Earth Hour you can be one of millions around the world united in telling our leaders to finish the job and agree a binding, ambitious global climate deal.


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1. Sign upOn Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, people and companies around the world will switch off their lights for one hour, WWF’s Earth Hour.

Sign up and join this massive global event. It’s a significant way for your organisation and colleagues to show their support for global action to tackle climate change.

We aim to reach over one billion people in 5,000 cities, and we need responsible businesses to lend their voices and help make this the biggest ever global participation event. To show that your company cares about people, wildlife and the planet, text EARTH* to 88008 or sign up at wwf.org.uk/earthhour

Once you sign up your company at wwf.org.uk/earthhour we’ll send you useful ideas and resources to help your company become more involved with WWF’s Earth Hour. Contact Diana Rogers on 01483 412369 or [email protected]

2. Switch off Switching your lights off is the most visible way you can support WWF’s Earth Hour. By joining in, you’ll boost employee morale and create a sense of participation, at the same time as helping to deliver on your corporate social responsibility objectives.

We want to generate a very visible demonstration of support, interest and publicity for this global event.

We can do this with your help.

• Switchoffyourlandmarkbuildings,signsandelectronicbillboards to show your support for WWF’s Earth Hour.

• Telllocalmediawhatandwhereyourbusinesswillswitchoff. Tell us too, and we’ll post the details on our Earth Hour website. Contact Madhubanti Guha at [email protected] to find out more about how you can communicate your engagement with WWF’s Earth Hour.

How your business can get involved in WWF’s Earth Hour 2010


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Why your funds are so importantEvery donation – no matter how big or small – makes a difference to our climate change projects across the world.

• £250couldpayforaneducationalworkshopin the Amazon, to teach local schoolchildren about the rainforest and its importance in mitigating climate change.

• £1,000couldsupportoursurveystoassesstheimpact of climate change on the coral reef in Belize, and our work with local communities there to help them adapt to changes to the reef, which they rely on for their livelihoods.

• £5,000couldbuyasatellitecollarforapolarbear. This allows scientists to track the bear’s movements on the melting sea ice and monitor the impact of global warming on the species.

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3. Spread the word to your colleagues • Designatean‘EarthHourDay’intheweekbeforeWWF’s

Earth Hour (Monday 22 to Friday 26 March 2010). You can use the Earth Hour poster on page 10 to advertise your event.

• Tellallyourcolleaguestosavethedateassoonasyou can, and ask them to text EARTH* to 88008 or sign up to WWF’s Earth Hour at wwf.org.uk/earthhour

• Speaktoyourinternalcommunicationsteamtoseeiftheycanput‘signup’communicationsandremindersonyourintranet, in your employee magazine, on screensavers, email signatures or in-office TV. We have template emails, screen savers, banners, widgets and other communication tools for you to use.

• Chooseoneorseveralfundraisingideasforthedayfrom the selection below. Please use the guidelines on pages 7 and 8 to help with your fundraising.

• Setchallengingbutachievabletargetsfortheday–can you raise £250 and help us get 100 colleagues to sign up to WWF’s Earth Hour? Why not see if your company can match employee fundraising £1 for £1 to double the amount you raise!

Like dressing up? Then ‘Wear it Bright and Turn Off the Lights’!Hosta‘WearitBright’daybyaskingeveryoneintheoffice(including the chief executive!) to wear their brightest, boldest clothes. Whether you dress yourself from head to toe in luminous green or yellow, or simply dig out those florescent pink legwarmers you pretend not to have from the ’80s, make sure you get everyone to Wear it Bright and Turn Off the Lights for one special day in the office. Ask everyone who takes part todonateatleast£2forthe‘righttobebright’anddouble-check they have all signed up to WWF’s Earth Hour!

Full of bright ideas? Hold a competition to tackle climate change in your officeYou might have already fitted energy-efficient light bulbs in meeting rooms or replaced paper towels for eco hand-dryers, but what could be the next big thing to make your office greener? Your colleagues could already have the answers! So why not encourage them to submit ideas and then add an incentive by getting your company to make a £5 donation to WWF for every idea received. Ask your senior managers to sit on the judging panel to ensure the best idea is ultimately put into place. This activity is a win-win for everyone – your company will save energy, tackle climate change and raise vital funds for WWF.

Not much time? Ask everyone in the office to spend 60 minutes on Earth HourSet up an office appeal to raise vital funds for WWF’s Earth Hour by simply asking colleagues to donate an hour of their salary, or an hour of their time making some cakes for an office cake sale. Both will help support people and wildlife threatened by climate change.

Do you have everything you need? Make sure you have ticked everything off in your Action Checklist:

I have emailed all my colleagues asking them to save the date for a special Earth Hour event, and telling them what big fundraising idea to expect on the big day.

I have sent an email to all my colleagues, customers and suppliers asking them to text EARTH* to 88008 or sign up to WWF’s Earth Hour at wwf.org.uk/earthhour

I have asked my online team if they can spread the message and communicate the day on my company’s intranet or website.

I have contacted Diana Rogers, at WWF, on 01483 412369 for Earth Hour candles, flyers, posters and T-shirts to support my day. We have a limited number available so make sure you contact us as soon as you can.



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4. Spread the word to your customers and suppliers

• Encourageyourcustomers,suppliers,friends,family,localcouncil, local newspaper… basically everyone you know to all switch off and support WWF’s Earth Hour.

• Telleveryonewhatyouaredoingwithourfunanduser-friendly digital tools including our Earth Hour banner, Earth Hour countdown timer, Earth Hour light switches and email templates available to download from our website.

• Makesureyoutelleveryonetosignuponlineatwwf.org.uk/earthhour or by texting EARTH* to 88008.

Thank you for helping us to spread the word as far as we can about Earth Hour 2010!

To find out more, contact Madhubanti Guha on [email protected]

Working with business to address climate change WWF engages with many sectors to promote climate-safe business models and to accelerate moves towards a low-carbon economy.

Our partnerships with many businesses, including HSBC, M&S, RSA and Sky, seek to play a part in tackling climate change. We also focus on low-carbon finance, carbon savings through better food consumption and production, improved energy services models within the power sector, and the provision of more sustainable transport.

As well as partnering with companies to improve the sustainability of their business and to lead the sector they operate in, we also work with companies on philanthropic, cause-related marketing and employee engagement and fundraising activities. We have also just launched our brand new Small Business Club, created especially to engage with the many thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the UK.

To find out more about how your company could partner with WWF-UK, please contact Diana Rogers on 01483 412369 or [email protected]



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Fundraising guidelines

Here are some guidelines to help you with your fundraising.Charities are governed by lots of different rules and regulations and below you will find some basic guidelines that you need to bear in mind when organising your fundraising activities. If you have any queries, please contact WWF’s Supporter Care team on 01483 426 333 or email them at [email protected] information can also be found at the following websites:

The Charity Commission: www.charity-commission.gov.ukThe Institute of Fundraising: www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk

In aid of WWFThank you for raising funds for WWF. Recently published guidelines mean that we need to ensure that our supporters understand that they are raising funds in aid of WWF, but don’t represent WWF. Please do not talk about WWF’s policies or stance on specific issues (for example in press releases, in publicity or other materials for your event). Any enquiries should be referred to WWF’s Supporter Care team.

WWF LogoPlease use the downloadable materials we have designed for you at wwf.org.uk to promote your fundraising activities. Please do not use the WWF logo on any materials you create yourself without approval from WWF. For more information please contact WWF’s Supporter Care team who will be able to assist you.

InsurancePlease remember that you are responsible for the activity and for making sure that it is run safely and legally. WWF cannot accept any liability or responsibility for anything that might happen to people or property as a result of your fundraising activity. If you are planning an event that involves the general public in any way you’ll need to budget for public liability insurance, which can be obtained from any insurer. If you are holding the event in a place which has liability insurance (such as a school, workplace, community centre etc), you should check with them what cover, if any, is available under their insurance and whether or not you need to arrange extra cover.

Collecting moneyIf you want to collect donations at your event, please be aware that public collections do need specific permission and licences, depending on the venue. We don’t advise that you ever collect money door-to-door or as part of a street collection, as it’s illegal to do so without a licence.

For your own protection, if at all possible, make sure that you count collected monies with another person present and have them verify the total amount raised. Ask people who want to make a donation by cheque to make it payable to WWF-UK rather than to you personally. Make sure any coins and notes donated are kept in a secure place and are banked as soon as possible, then write a cheque to WWF-UK for this amount to avoid sending cash in the post. Any expenses to be recovered from your event should only be deducted with the prior agreement of WWF. Ensure all funds that you have raised are returned to WWF by any deadline we have set. If no specific deadline has been set, please return all funds to WWF within 30 days of your event or within 30 days of collecting all your sponsorship.

Take careWWF cannot accept responsibility for accidents, so please follow these simple principles to make sure that everyone’s safe while they are raising money. Contact the British Red Cross or St John’s Ambulance if you feel that first aiders are necessary. Always ensure that children are safe and that you do not allow them to ask for or collect money without an adult. Nobody should carry out fundraising in an unsafe environment, so assess any risks involved and make sure that those risks are eliminated or minimised, both for yourself and your helpers and for participants.

If you are going to carry money around, take care with your personal security. Always use a safe route, take someone else with you and carry a personal alarm. If you hire anybody to help organise your event, or use facilities provided by a third party, make sure that they have suitable experience and their own insurance. Finally, remember that your activity, if carried out within the work-place, must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, as well as all relevant legislation since. See www.hse.gov.uk


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www.wwf.org.uk

Fundraising guidelines

Adventure activitiesWWF does not encourage risky activities like parachuting, bungee jumping or rock climbing for example. Neither do we encourage travelling to other countries as part of your fundraising activities.

AlcoholSelling alcohol as part of your event requires a temporary licence. You’ll need to apply for it at you local magistrate’s court at least a month in advance. You can, however, offer alcohol but not charge for it, without getting a licence. If you choose this route, make it clear what is being offered and howmuch–forexample,‘freeglassofwinewitheveryticket’.Another option is to hold your event on licensed premises or ask your local pub to organise the bar at your venue.

This ensures that there is a licensee responsible for the sale of alcohol and you won’t need to apply for a separate licence yourself.

FoodIf you want to offer or sell food to the public, you should check with the environmental health department of your local council to see which food safety laws apply.

Lotteries and rafflesLegally, lotteries and raffles are defined in the same way and the same rules apply to both. There are three types of lottery:

Private lotteriesIf you hold a raffle at your workplace or club, there’s no need to obtain a licence. This is the type of lottery we recommend, since it is easy to run and isn’t legally complex. Just make sure that the raffle is only offered on the premises. You must make it clear who is running the raffle.

Small lotteriesIf you hold a raffle as part of an event, but not the main focus of your event, you can also run it without a licence. With this type of lottery, there can’t be any cash prizes and both the ticket sales and the announcement of the results must take place during the event. No more than £250 can be spent on buying prizes, but no limits apply to the value of donated goods.

Public lotteriesIf you hold a larger raffle that is open to members of the public, it must be registered with the local council. Due to the legal issues and extra complexity, we suggest that you avoid organising this type of raffle. Please note that WWF cannot supply prizes for lotteries and raffles.

Please keep it green!Please remember to keep the environment in mind when planning your fundraising activities for WWF’s Earth Hour. Here are some simple guidelines to help you:

Try to travel by public transport, walk or cycle and •encourage others to do the same

Buying locally produced goods and materials will also •cut down on your carbon footprint

If you use flyers, try printing on both sides to save paper •and use recycled materials

If you’re providing refreshments, opt for organic and fair •trade varieties wherever possible

Try to limit the amount of meat and dairy products, and •where possible buy food that’s local and in season

Why not try putting suitable food leftovers in a compost heap •or donate any surplus food to a local homeless shelter

Use reusable cutlery, cups and plates – made from china •or glass for example – rather than disposable varieties as this will avoid creating too much waste

Collect any paper, cans and plastic so that you can •recycle them


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Paying-in funds form

Thank you for raising money for WWF’s Earth Hour. Please double-check the following before posting any money you have raised:

All cheques or postal orders are correctly completed, signed, dated and made payable to • WWF-UK. To discuss other payment methods, please contact Diana Rogers on [email protected]

You are not posting cash•Please bank any cash into your own account and then write a cheque or postal order to WWF-UK for the correct amount

Please find enclosed funds of £ ________________ which were raised from this event as of today’s date (please tick)

Wear it Bright Day

Green ideas competition

Spend an hour

Other

Date of the fundraising event

I will shortly be sending a further £

I have no more funds to pay-in

Name

Name of Business

Address

Postcode

Telephone number

Email address

Please return to Supporter Care, WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR.

Please tick here if you would like to receive email updates from WWF-UK

WWF-UK would really like to tell you more about our work. To be able to do this we would like to keep your information so we can decide what is most appropriate to tell you, and when. We would really like to keep in touch but please tick the box if you’d rather we didn’t.

Thank you for supporting WWF’s Earth Hour


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What is our company doing for WWF’s Earth Hour to help protect people and wildlife threatened by climate change?

On Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm WWF is hoping that a billion people around the world will switch off and support WWF’s Earth Hour. Text Earth to 88008* or sign-up online at

wwf.org.uk/earthhour

Where

When

Contact

* Texts cost £1 plus standard network rate. Terms & Conditions: You will be charged £1 plus one message at your standard network rate. WWF will receive approximately 60p from each message sent. For assistance please telephone 01483 426333.


The mission of WWF is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

· conserving the world’s biological diversity; · ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable; and · reducing pollution and wasteful consumption.

wwf.org.uk/earthhour

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WWF-UKPanda HouseWeyside ParkGodalmingGU7 1XRt: 01483 426444f: 01483 426409e: [email protected]

WWF ScotlandLittle DunkeldDunkeldPerthshirePH8 0ADt: 01350 728200f: 01350 728201

WWF CymruBaltic HouseMount Stuart SquareCardiffCF10 5FHt: 029 2045 4970f: 029 2045 1306

WWF Northern IrelandSecond Floor7 Exchange PlaceBelfastBT1 2NAt: 028 9033 2869f: 028 9033 3401

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