China to plant 70 billion trees by 2030 to combat climate change

Davos: China has decided to plant 70 billion trees by 2020 as a part of global tree movement to “combat the climate change and increase forest carbon sinks”.

This was announced by Xie Zhenhua, China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change as country’s active response to the World Economic Forum’s 1t.org initiative, the platform supporting the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

“This initiative will encourage society-wide stakeholders, including enterprises, individuals, and local governments at all levels to commit with actions to plant, conserve, restore and manage 70 billion trees” said the official statement.

During his speech at the Forum’s 2022 Annual Meeting in Davos, Xie Zhenhua said China’s forest cover and forest stock volume have been growing in the last 30 years, and China accounts for more than 25% of the world’s new green areas.

“China responds actively to contribute to the 1t.org initiative from the World Economic Forum, and I am announcing here that China aims to plant and conserve 70 billion trees within 10 years to green our planet, combat climate change, and increase forest carbon sinks” he added.

Lauding the China’s “bold contribution” Chairman Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum said “We appreciate China’s effort in supporting the 1t.org initiative of the World Economic Forum and relevant UN initiatives, we highly appreciate China’s practices upholding relative international commitment such as the Paris Agreement and Biodiversity target through Nature-Based Solutions.’

According to the statement, in the past decade, China has regrown more than 70 million hectares of forest cover.

China’s 14^th “Five Year Plan” has a stated target of increasing forest coverage to 24.1 percent by 2025, and forest stock volume up to 19 billion cubic meters.

Science-based greening efforts and inter-ministerial cooperation have provided the key vehicle for forest ecosystem restoration.

“China’s land restoration and afforestation projects provide fundamental support to the country’s poverty reduction targets of elevating 20 million people out of poverty, with the lives of 3 million peple already improved through increased household income” it said.