Ellie Goulding joins wildlife charity to speak up for planet

The chart-topping musician, who was brought up near the Shropshire border in Kington, has a long-standing relationship with the organisation, including a visit to Greenland’s Jakobshavn glacier with climatologists where she saw the rapid rate of ice loss first hand.

She joins the WWF as it marks its 15th annual Earth Hour event on Saturday, in which the public are being asked to switch off their lights for 60 minutes.

Goulding, 35, said: “I’m delighted to join WWF as an ambassador because I’m passionate about speaking up for our extraordinary planet.

“I know that the climate crisis and the destruction of nature can feel overwhelming at times, but I promise you when millions of people stand together, and demand change, the dial begins to shift.

“One thing we know is that every second counts and every second we need to agitate for change. I want to be part of that.”

Goulding, whose hits include Burn, Love Me Like You Do and Lights, was among the attendees at November’s Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

In July 2019, she joined celebrities including actor James Norton, wildlife presenter Steve Backshall and former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq in writing to Boris Johnson urging him to cut climate emissions to “net zero”.

The letter asked the then-new Prime Minister to prioritise help for people to switch to electric cars, as well as plant more trees and make homes more climate-friendly with cleaner heating systems.

Tanya Steele, chief executive of WWF-UK, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ellie as an ambassador at such a crucial time.

“She is an incredible advocate and will help us drive forward our work and raise awareness of the need for climate action.”