BEIJING, 29 April 2010 – In recognition of Weber Shandwick’s outstanding volunteer efforts in supporting and promoting Earth Hour in China, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) granted its Enterprises Special Contribution Award to the firm for the second year a in row. John Russell, Weber Shandwick’s executive vice president, Asia Pacific, accepted the award on behalf of the agency.

Hou Yanli, director of the Global Climate Initiative at WWF-China said, “Weber Shandwick has played a key role in promoting Earth Hour. We would not have been able to achieve what we have right now without their selfless and dedicated help.”

The WWF granted awards to selected participating enterprises in recognition of their respective contributions to Earth Hour. Weber Shandwick was the only PR agency to partner with the WWF this year and received the Enterprise Special Contribution Award along with six other partners. Weber Shandwick also received a Certificate of Appreciation from the WWF.

Since the introduction of Earth Hour in China in 2009, Weber Shandwick has partnered with the WWF on a pro-bono basis with the responsibility for engaging enterprise participation. This year, Weber Shandwick managed to enlist the participation of 429 enterprises in Earth Hour, a two-fold increase over 2009.

“Earth Hour is a growing phenomenon in China. Everyone, even the smallest village or the smallest household, can make a difference by contributing to the big issues. Weber Shandwick, too, is committed to being a good corporate citizen in China, and that’s why we’re proud of our contribution to this important cause,” said Russell.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour has become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. In March 2009, over 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative. Earth Hour 2010, which took place on March 27, was reportedly the biggest event yet.

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global public relations agency with offices in 76 countries around the world. The firm's success is built on its deep commitment to client service, creativity, collaboration and harnessing the power of Advocates – engaging stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputation. Weber Shandwick provides strategy and execution across practices such as consumer marketing, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, corporate and crisis management. Its specialized services include digital/social media, advocacy advertising, market research, and corporate responsibility. In 2009, Weber Shandwick was recognized as PRWeek's inaugural Global Agency Report Card Gold Medal Winner, an ‘Agency of the Decade' by Advertising Age, Global Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report, and International Consultancy of the Year by PRWeek UK. The firm has also won numerous ‘best place to work' awards around the world including PR News and The Holmes Report. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com or http://www.webershandwick.asia.