About 2.9 million people of Hong Kong participated in Earth Hour 2009, a World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) environmental protection event, announced WWF Hong Kong on Tuesday.

According to a survey commissioned by WWF, 58 percent of 984 people aged between 18 and 64 interviewed across Hong Kong said they participated in Earth Hour.

This amounts to approximately 2.9 million people, which significantly exceeded the initial target of 1 million people.

At 8:30 p.m. on March 28, when Earth Hour was held, over 1,800 buildings, 600 companies and organizations, 160 schools and all universities switched their lights out in support of the event.

The survey showed that 85 percent of respondents said that Earth Hour increased their awareness of taking actions on climate change.

Electricity consumption in Hong Kong dropped by 5 percent during the one-hour event, according to figures provided by the two local electricity companies, as compared with the same time the week before, which was on March 21.

"Five percent reduced electricity consumption over the period, 170 tons of Carbon dioxide have been saved, which is equivalent to 340 trees absorbing carbon over 40 years," said William Yu, WWF Hong Kong's Head of Climate Program.

He said that Earth Hour was not so much about energy saving for one hour on one night, it was about every one taking small actions which could lead to big changes.

Over 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries and regions had joined Earth Hour 2009.

(Xinhua News Agency April 7, 2009)