Sydney blackout campaign cut energy use by 10%

ORGANISERS behind a campaign that saw Sydney impose a one-hour blackout to focus attention on global warming hailed it as a success for taking the equivalent of nearly 50,000 cars off the road.

Energy Australia said the event — which saw the lights switched off on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House and in 65,000 homes and 2,000 businesses — had cut normal energy use by an estimated 10.2%.

Sydney switched off at 7.30pm on Saturday (9.30am Irish time) as residents and firms joined Earth Hour to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which organised what it called a world-first event, said discussions would take place to take the concept nationally.

“We would have thought about a 5% reduction would have been a good result, but we’ve seen a reduction of over 10%,” a spokesman for Energy Australia said.

“That’s a tremendous result.”

Giving comparisons, Energy Australia said that the 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide saved was equivalent to taking 48,613 cars off the road for an hour.

A spokeswoman for WWF said it was “desperately happy and relieved”.

“On a range of environmental actions that we need to take individual action is the key, and this has shown what it can do. It’s pretty spectacular when you get to prove that,” she said.