Ellie Goulding has joined wildlife charity WWF as an ambassador in order to “speak up for our extraordinary planet”.

The chart-topping musician, 35, 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.

Ellie Goulding in Greenland in 2018 with WWF (Tristan Fewings/PA)

Goulding 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.

“Earth Hour reminds us that when millions of people come together, small actions can make a big difference.

“When we make changes in our own lives to reduce our impact on the planet, we inspire those around us to do the same and, together, we are a powerful global movement that governments and businesses can’t ignore.”

Ms Steele said this year’s Earth Hour is taking pace during a “challenging time”.

However, she added: “I hope it gives us a chance to take a moment in solidarity, coming together to look after each other and our one shared home.

“We all depend on nature – and nature needs us to stand up for it every day. By 2030, our natural world could be recovering all around us.

“Our leaders have promised to put nature at the heart of climate action, to secure a safer future for all of us.

“Now we must make sure they deliver on that promise.”

The Earth Hour will take place from 8.30pm on Saturday March 26 with those taking part switching off their lights after downloading the My Footprint app to track the reduction in their energy use.

Presenter and author Simon Reeve and Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams are also celebrity ambassadors for WWF.