This Saturday, millions around the world will turn off their lights and appliances to celebrate Earth Hour, a popular World Wildlife Foundation campaign that is meant to raise awareness about energy consumption. Sears Canada wants to extend that communication with the launch of a new Live Green program that aims to show consumers how they can make their homes carbon neutral for the rest of the year.

James Gray-Donald, AVP & sustainability leader, Sears Canada, says the new strategy is to change the minds of shoppers who don’t think of the retailer as a leader in sustainability.

‘Live Green has three pillars: making it easy for our customers to be green, become carbon neutral and nurture a culture of sustainability,’ Grey-Donald tells MiC.

Developed in-house, the Live Green message is being promoted through flyers, catalogue and retail locations. An eco-shop at will highlight products that qualify under the four Live Green categories – Healthy Home, Uses Less Power (most efficient products within the Energy Star lineup), Renewable Resources (products made of organic or smart fibres), and Saves Water (low-flow toilets, for example). A carbon and cost calculator demonstrates the environmental and financial benefits of switching to replacing old appliances with new energy-smart models.

A social media campaign will be built out over the course of 2010 in partnership with WWF and Environmental Defence, according to Gray-Donald.

‘The first phase, which is launching for Earth Hour, includes refrigerators and tankless water heaters,’ says Gray-Donald.