Good day Jamaica.
Once again, we pause our regular day to day activities to celebrate Labour Day, the day when we work together in our communities and are reminded of the importance of solidarity and collective action in building a more fair and equal society.
I wish to endorse the theme selected for Labour Day this year – “Plant a Tree for Life – Promoting Climate Change Mitigation, Food Security and Road Safety”. In an era when climate change has emerged as an existential threat to the future of mankind, this theme focuses attention on the urgent need for each and every one of us to take action to counter the effects of climate change and promotes sustainable ways of living and organizing human activity.
We are all aware of the devastating impact that climate change is having on our planet, and Jamaica is no exception. Rising sea levels, more frequent and intense hurricanes, and prolonged droughts are just some of the effects that we are already experiencing.
It is our constitutional right to enjoy a healthy and productive environment, free from the threats of injury or damage from environmental abuse and degradation of our ecological heritage. Protecting that constitutional right is the responsibility of all of us as Jamaicans.