Lights to go out at Borders abbeys for Earth Hour

The annual World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) event takes place on Saturday, March 24, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, and Scottish Borders Council and Historic Environment Scotland will be teaming up once again to show their backing by switching off the lights at Jedburgh, Kelso and Melrose abbeys.

Earth Hour, first held in 2007 to encourage people to use less energy, is now celebrated in more than 180 countries worldwide.

Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar, the council’s energy efficiency champion, said: “We are proud to be supporting WWF’s Earth Hour this year, with the abbeys’ symbolic switch-off hopefully inspiring Borders residents and businesses to join this show of support for action on climate change.

“As a council, we are delivering our services with a considerably smaller carbon footprint and have been involved in major energy saving projects such as the LED street-lighting scheme, the increased number of electric vehicle-charging points and new pilot project Change Works in Peebles, which is working with residents and businesses to reduce energy use in the town.”

Mairi Davies, climate change manager at Historic Environment Scotland, added: “We are really pleased to be part of Earth Hour with Scottish Borders Council again this year.

“It is more important than ever to make sure that we work together to encourage sustainable choices for people, buildings and communities to help protect the environment and historic sites at risk from climate change.”

For more information and to sign up to take part, visit www.earthhour.org

The council is responsible for the lights at the three abbeys, but Historic Environment Scotland maintains the buildings.