More than 2,400 cities, including the Mexican capital, from 82 countries will join Sunday's "Earth Hour" to boost the global awareness of climate change, Omar Vidal, director of the World Wildlife Found (WWF) in Mexico, said on Thursday.

"The Earth Hour" is set to turn off lights for one hour in public and private houses and buildings from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time in each country, Vidal told Xinhua.

Vidal said this initiative was launched in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, when two million people joined the activity.

"The event grew up so much in 2008 that it gathered 400 cities and 50 million people. We focus on cities rather than countries," Vidal said.

"In Mexico, mayor of the Mexico City Marcelo Ebrard will turn off the lights of the Constitution Square, the ancient Town Hall palace and Metropolitan Cathedral," Vidal said.

The lights of other landmark architectures in the city will also be turned off.

The Carso Group will also join the activity and will turn off the lights of 350 buildings it owns nationwide, Vidal said.

Vidal expected a large number of people to join the event and demand concrete actions taken by governments worldwide in an effort to curb the effect of climate change for the benefit of the whole human beings.

This year's "Earth Hour" will start in New Zealand and finish in the west coast of the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2009)