BANGKOK, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Thai capital will start a campaign on Wednesday night to show individual strength in contributing to mitigating world climate change by turning off non-essential lights for 15 minutes in the city's major business districts.

    Initiated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the campaign aims to help reduce the city's excessive energy consumption, and thus contribute to the mitigation of global warming, according to Bangkok-based news network The Nation.

    Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin called on Bangkok residents to join the campaign and to take effect on the ninth day of each month later on, with business and households switching off lights for 15 minutes from 07:00 p.m. local time.

    Apirak said switching lights off for 15 minutes in the entire city will reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by as much as 4,800 tons.

    As the capital of the Thailand, Bangkok is a major source of greenhouse gases with 30 to 50 percent of total energy consumption concentrated in the city.

    Statistics show that last year Bangkok residents devoured 206 million kilowatts of electricity, 34 million liters of oil, 400,000 liters of gasohol and 25,000 kg of natural gas, the report said.