YEREVAN, March 26, /ARKA/. HSBC Group has invested $100 million since 2007 in fighting the effects of climate change, HSBC Bank Armenia CEO, Astrid Clifford, said today.

“In 2007 HSBC Group established climate partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and other environmental organizations dealing with effects of climate change,’ she said at a news conference, called on the eve of Earth Hour.

She said raising the peoples’ awareness of potential effects of climate change is a priority in the 21-st century,’

‘Together with our partners and thousands of our employees the goal of HSBC is fight against the threats of climate change as well as stimulate individuals, organizations and governments to take concrete actions and measures,’ she said.

Astrid Clifford said HSBC Bank Armenia joined Earth Hour in 2009 and will do so this year. She said lights will be switched off in HSBC Bank Armenia and its branches at 8. 30 pm on March 27 for one hour.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007 when 2.2 million people switched off the lights in their homes, offices and businesses to make a point about electricity consumption and carbon pollution. In 2008 50 million people across the globe joined it and in 2009 over 1.4 billion people.

On March 27 street illumination will be switched off for one hour in Yerevan. The Earth Hour is sponsored by Armenian branch of WWF, nature protection ministry, Yerevan municipality, Moskva cinema, Congress hotel, and other companies and organizations.-0-