Russia explains why it does not participate in Earth Hour

According to RT on March 25, Earth Hour, organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), is a symbol of humanity's commitment to the Earth and is held annually on the last Saturday of March. Russia has participated in Earth Hour since 2013.

However, “this year we have decided not to participate in this action,” Mr Peskov said, confirming that the move was related to WWF being considered a foreign agent in Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Justice added WWF to its list of foreign agents in early March. According to the ministry, WWF's office in Russia received foreign funding and also sought to influence decisions of Russian law enforcement and legislative bodies, disrupting infrastructure and industrial projects under the guise of environmental activities.

WWF has said it will appeal the Russian Ministry of Justice’s decision in court. WWF also asserted that its main goal is to preserve biodiversity in harmony with nature. WWF said it will continue its activities to preserve endangered species and nature in Russia.

Instead, a group of Russian ecologists called the “Green Patrol” has called on Russian authorities, businesspeople and ordinary citizens to take part in an alternative to Earth Hour. The group’s “Help the Planet” initiative will take place on Saturday, March 25. The group says the new movement will show that Russia is still willing to help the planet and use its resources wisely. However, Russian officials have so far not responded to the initiative.

According to Tin Tuc Newspaper