Earth Day 2021: Message by the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change & Environment |22 April 2021

Minister Joubert

‘Let’s make a difference and restore our earth!’

“Every year on April 22, the year celebrates Earth Day, to recognise the importance and value of the planet that we live on and depend on for our living. It is a day of reflection for every individual on the need to care, protect and maintain the planet that we call home, a time for personal reflection even more to ask ourselves how do we treat the earth and what do we do and how do we contribute to protect it and keep it the beautiful blue and green planet that we admire.

“This year’s theme is ‘Restore Our Earth’ which highlights the need for all of us to put more effort and determination in caring and restoring our planet earth not because we care about it but because we live on it. As inhabitants of this planet we need a healthy earth to support our jobs, livelihoods, health and survival and happiness, it is a necessity not a choice that should be made.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has shown us when the world goes into lockdown here in Seychelles, as we have seen the results from around the world, if we give the chance for the earth to breathe and recover, how nature and environment will bounce back with positive results such as a cleaner air, a cleaner environment and species or animals seen in abundance and in some places for the first time in a long time.

“Therefore our behaviour everyday adds up to what every single human being is doing in the world for example how we care, protect and behave in nature and not destroy or kill it, how we treat the waste that we generate every single day, how we use electricity conservatively and efficiently, how we use water wisely and not waste it.

“Economically it is important also as a country for us to build back better from the Covid-19 pandemic, we cannot continue business as usual, we need to find new and better ways at how we progress as a country with even greater consideration for the natural environment, sustainable development as well as development in harmony with nature.

“The world as a whole needs to take bigger and wider actions such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protect and use water resources better as well as species extinction. So people of Seychelles this is another opportunity for us to make new personal pledges and commitments towards the wellbeing of our mother earth, let’s make a difference and restore our earth!

“Happy Earth Day!”

Flavien Joubert

Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change & Environment