Village Connect
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Liter of Light, a Filipino-born global grassroots solar lighting movement, has achieved a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest solar artwork.
The World Record was accomplished with 3,000 solar lamps all built by hand by thousands of students from Deira International School and Universal American School. It is the largest youth climate action in the Asia, Middle East, and North Africa (AMENA) region since COP28, the global climate change negotiations hosted by the United Arab Emirates in December 2023.
Following the public viewing of the artwork, the lights built for the installation will be distributed to communities living in Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, in partnership with the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines. Under the stewardship of DENR, Agusan Marsh remains one of Asia’s most important transit points for wild birds and a pivotal reservoir of biodiversity. Each hand-built solar light reduces carbon emissions by 1000 kg over five years by replacing traditional forms of electricity, mainly kerosene, with clean, sustainable energy.
The unveiling of the record-breaking artwork coincides with International Day for Biodiversity, a day dedicated to raising awareness about environmental stewardship and highlighting the urgent action needed to respect, protect, and repair the planet’s biological wealth.
The artwork, “Tree of Light”, is a majestic symbol of the beauty of the natural world and all its inhabitants, but also a stern warning of the devastating consequences of human-induced climate change and environmental degradation.
“The Tree of Light is reminds us of our responsibility to care for the Earth and to be mindful of our impact on the environment. Nearly one million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction. Each species that dies is like taking away a branch of that tree, a tremendous loss to life on earth and future generations,” says Illac Diaz, Founder and Global Director of Liter of Light. “Working with the youth to be part of this message was important because they are the ones who are leading change and inspiring us to act to build back biodiversity.”
Liter of Light empowers climate-vulnerable communities through its hand-built solar lighting solutions assembled using local parts. The enterprise offers a unique model for community engagement through the largest net-zero initiatives for climate action. Since 2018, it has built some of the largest hand-built solar artworks in the world.
The artwork is a collaboration between Liter of Light and the UAE-based Al-Futtaim Group comprised of Al-Futtaim Real Estate, Al-Futtaim Automotive and the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation.
