TORONTO — McDonald's Canada and participating restaurants nationwide will take part in Earth Hour, and in the process could save more than 10,000 kWh in electricity usage, which is the same amount of energy the average Canadian household uses in a year.
A global initiative led by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to inspire people to take action on climate change, Earth Hour will take place March 29, 2008. While all participating McDonald's restaurants will remain open and fully operational, at 8 p.m., for one hour, customers and passers-by will notice darkened road signs and roof beams as the locations cut down on their electricity usage.
Through energy-saving practices in the areas of ventilation, lighting and heating, McDonald's restaurants in Canada have saved an estimated 3.1 million kWh since 2005, which equates to 2,375 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions — equal to taking approximately 435 cars off the road. In addition, 37 McDonald's restaurants in Alberta are purchasing wind-generated electricity, drastically cutting carbon dioxide emissions, while two restaurants in Quebec have pioneered the use of a geothermal renewable energy system — a means of extracting heat from the earth in the operation of quick-service restaurants.
McDonald's Canada also engages its suppliers and encourages them to be more environmentally conscious. This lead to the creation in 2007 of an annual Sustainability Award, which recognizes a supplier who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing environmental sustainability in the areas of energy conservation, solid waste mitigation and recycling, among others.
Earth Hour was introduced in Australia in 2007.
