Mr. Speaker, today is Global Buy Nothing Day.
We wish to recognize this day as an opportunity to reflect on the issue of overconsumption and how consumerism in wealthy countries affects the planet as a whole in terms of its social, economic and ecological impact.
At present, 20% of the world's population consumes 80% of all global resources. In every country, people are suffering because they cannot get the basic resources they need to live comfortably. In certain regions of the world, some people do not even have access to food every day and many children are suffering as a result.
Global Buy Nothing Day is not meant to hurt the economy, but it is an opportunity for people to reflect on how lucky we are to be able to buy things every day without even thinking about it.
I would like to congratulate an organization in my riding, the Coop la Maison verte, which is marking this event on Sunday by inviting its members to gather at the co-op to raise awareness, without buying anything. It is very important that we all pay attention to our consumption habits and make responsible decisions.