President: Households must be empowered to recycle

PRESIDENT Paula-Mae Weekes says households should be empowered to recycle.

In her message commemorating International Day of Families Weekes said the day promotes the importance and well-being of families and acknowledge their role in the progress and development of society. She said this year’s theme “Families and Climate Action: Focus on SDG 13” highlights the significance of the family in achieving Goal 13 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which aims to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

“Climate change is considered to be one of the greatest challenges of the modern era. In the Caribbean, rising sea levels, prolonged periods of drought and more active hurricane seasons threaten the livelihoods of the region’s households and communities. As the basic unit of society, the family is particularly affected by social, economic and environmental transformation. The effects of climate change have the potential to be highly disruptive and detrimental to the economic outlook of family life.”

She said for climate action to be successful, international, regional and national strategies have to include the family in the process of mitigating the effects of climate change.

“Households must be educated and empowered to take daily steps in reducing their impact on the environment by recycling, limiting the usage of single-use plastic, composting or turning off lights when not in use. This intergenerational approach to sustainability will hopefully foster a culture of environmental responsibility in our families, communities and nation so that we will be well on our way to fulfilling our commitment to the 2030 Agenda.”