Groundswell of Support
from Communities, Citizens and Kindegartens
to Governments and Corporations Makes Climate
Change Pledge a Reality
Nairobi, 22 May 2007—A promise to plant
a billion trees as one unique response to
the global climate change challenge has
been met, the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) announced today.
Following a pledge of 20 million trees by
Senegal, the five month-old Billion Tree
Campaign has surpassed its initial goal
some seven months ahead of its original
target.
Organizers, which also include the Green
Belt Movement and the World Agroforestry
Centre (ICRAF) have been astonished at the
international enthusiasm for the campaign
with people aged 5 years-old to 80, drawn
from developing and developed countries,
joining forces with communities, kindergartens,
scouts groups, schools, universities, artists,
city councils, companies and countries to
achieve the initial goal.
The campaign, announced at the recent climate
change convention conference held in Nairobi,
Kenya, now switches to turning the pledges
into one billion plantings by the end of
the year.
Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary
General and UNEP Executive Director, said:”2007
will go down as the year of full stops in
respect to the climate change debate. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
has put a full stop behind the science—climate
change is happening; a full stop behind
the impacts—they are underway and will impact
on every corner of the planet, and a full
stop behind the economics—tackling climate
change will cost just 0.1 of annual GDP,
perhaps less”.
“The other big question has been whether
the public is ready, whether it is politically
possible to mobilize individuals, communities
and nations en masse to counter the rise
in greenhouse gases. The Billion Tree Campaign
gives us the final full stop on this debate
too”, he said.
“Countries and communities as well as corporations
and individual citizens across the developed
and developing world have responded to the
challenge with grassroots enthusiasm and
commitment. It should empower governments
everywhere in the sure and certain knowledge
that addressing climate change is not a
political risk but perhaps the most popular
move of our time, with their electorate
and the public right behind them,” added
Mr. Steiner.
He was speaking on the International Day
for Biological Diversity coordinated by
the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Mr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary
of the Convention on Biological Diversity
made the following comment: "Reversing
the unprecedented loss of biodiversity of
our planet requires unprecedented efforts
at all levels. Achieving the target of the
Billion Tree Campaign on the occasion of
the International Day on Biodiversity is
a remarkable success. It is living testimony
of the resolve of the international community
to redouble efforts to address the intertwined
planetary environmental threats of biodiversity
loss and climate change. Planting a tree
is a celebration of our connection with
Mother Nature. It is also an act of hope.
Each citizen of our planet must nurture
and cherish nature for an ever better quality
of life on Earth. I applaud this one billion
milestone and express the hope that the
planting of six billion trees could be achieved
at next year’s celebration of the International
Day on Biodiversity, as a contribution to
the Johannesburg target of significantly
reducing the rate of loss of biodiversity
by 2010."
This year’s theme is Biodiversity and Climate
Change and comes just weeks after the release
of a series of reports by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which also
highlight the challenges facing biodiversity
-- and by inference livelihoods and human
well- being -- as a result of the build
up of greenhouse gases.
The IPCC states, for example, that tourism
in Africa, much of which is based on nature,
is likely to be hard hit, with 25 per cent
to 40 per cent of animal species such as
zebra in the national parks of sub-Saharan
Africa set to become endangered
Over a third of turtle breeding sites in
the Caribbean may be lost if sea levels
rise by 0.5 meters. Islands with moist cloud
forests, like Hawaii, can expect to suffer
a loss of endemic bird species.
In the Arctic thinning and reduced coverage
of sea ice is likely to have important knock
on effects. Crustaceans, adapted for life
at the sea ice edge, are an important food
for seals and polar cod. Narwhal also depend
on sea-ice organisms. (For more climate
and biodiversity impacts on Africa and other
regions see notes to editors)
Wangari Maathai — the Inspiration
The original inspiration for the Billion
Tree Campaign came from its co-patron, 2004
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Professor Wangari
Maathai.
Indeed, the first pledge of 2 million trees
was put forward by the Green Belt Movement
environmentalist who has been tireless in
supporting the Billion Tree Campaign.
Today, she recalled a recent conference
of African and Spanish women held in Madrid:
“I challenged participants to advocate for
the creation of a green belt across the
Sahara Desert from Dakar to Djibouti, as
part of the Billion Tree Campaign. Such
an effort would contribute towards slowing
down the desertification processes that
are hastening the southern expansion of
the Sahara desert”.
“I am quite sure that, with the support
of the African Heads of States whose countries
border the Sahara Desert, we could achieve
this goal. We need to empower communities
along the route and persuade them to both
plant and be the caretakers of the trees
to ensure that they survive. This is our
dream, come be part of the dream and the
Billion Tree Campaign”, added Professor
Maathai, also founder of the Green Belt
Movement.
“The Campaign was among the positive outcomes
of the last climate change conference held
here in Nairobi at the end of 2006. The
first phase has been met, now we need these
pledges translated into one billion trees
on the ground. In doing so, the campaign
will not only contribute to addressing climate
change by utilizing the ability of trees
to sequester carbon from the atmosphere
but a range of other pressing issues from
soil stabilization and watershed management
to improved prospects for wildlife, agriculture
and tourism,” she added.
Prince Albert II of Monaco—Co-Patron and
committed environmentalist
The other patron is HSH Albert II, Sovereign
Prince of Monaco. He advocated for the campaign
and planted trees in January 2007 in Cap-d’Ail
and La Turbie (France), in areas devastated
by summer forest fires. “As a Head of State,
when accepting to become a patron for the
campaign, I wanted to lead the way and catalyze
mobilization for tree planting in all regions
of the world,” he said.
The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) —Indispensable
Scientific Partner
Dennis Garrity, ICRAF’s Director, added:
“It is with profound pride, and some amazement,
that the World Agroforestry Centre joins
with the Billion Tree Campaign partners
to celebrate the early attainment of successful
pledges to plant one billion trees for the
planet.
“It is simply thrilling that so many individuals,
organizations and governments from around
the world have responded with such vigorous
commitment. Humans have evolved through
the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron
Age. I do believe that perhaps we are now
entering the Tree Age!” he added.
“It will take nearly 15 years to add another
one billion to the human population. But
the Billion Tree Campaign has established
an extra one billion trees to benefit that
billion people in a little over 15 weeks.
Describing this achievement as remarkable
is an understatement,” said Mr. Garrity.
“UNEP and all involved should be heartily
congratulated on how they have helped the
world realize that trees on small-holder
farms are an increasingly critical solution
to climate change, biodiversity loss, and
vulnerable livelihoods. To put it simply,
Agroforestry is saving the world one tree
at a time,” he added.
The Billion Tree Campaign was announced
on 8 November 2006 at the United Nations
Convention on Climate Change Conference
and initiated in January 2007.
Along with Senegal, the pledging target
of one billion has also been surpassed with
the promise of 30 million trees from Uganda
communicated to UNEP by His Excellency Hon.
Professor Semakula Kiwanuka, Uganda’s Minister
of State for Finance, Planning and Economic
Development. It brings the total pledges
to one billion and 12 million trees, of
which over 13.5 million have been planted.
Notes to Editors
The Billion Tree Campaign, which operates
through a unique and dedicated interactive
web site, demonstrates that a concrete people-centred
initiative can be an incentive for positive
and immediate environmental action.
There was an unprecedented movement and
mobilization for tree planting at the community
level and in cities, from Belo Horizonte
in Brazil to Tokyo in Japan.
Photographs, letters and a welter of emails
were received by UNEP from thousands of
participants—aged 5 years-old to 80 years-old--
who demonstrated commitment to take action
to regenerate the environment and address
climate change.
Artists and creators from around the world
displayed their creativity to support the
campaign. Billboards on the campaign appeared
alongside roads, in airports and in the
Parisian metro.
Tree planting pledges have been made by
governments in countries such as Cameroon,
China, Cuba, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Israel,
Japan, the Maldives, Mauritania, Mexico,
Monaco, Morocco, Myanmar, Senegal, South
Korea, Turkey, Uganda and Venezuela. They
were facilitated by the Permanent Representatives
to UNEP, many of whom went to also plant
trees around Nairobi.
Several private sector companies, United
Nations agencies and the World Bank teamed
up with UNEP to catalyze further involvement
in the campaign. Foundations, the scouts
movement, and thousands of NGOs started
advertising the campaign, through their
own means, thus catalyzing further interest.
Thousands of blogs have featured the campaign,
which also assisted in spreading the word.
An exchange forum has been put on line
today to enable participants to volunteer
time, expertise, funding, or provide land
and seedlings under the Billion Tree Campaign
project.
IPCC Facts and Figures on Climate Change
and Biodiversity if Greenhouse Gas Emissions
are not Curbed-Working Group II 4th Assessment
2007
• Pacific Islands are likely to be a greater
risk of invasion by the invasive sim weed.
American Samoa could see a 50 per cent loss
of mangroves with an anticipated 12 per
cent reduction in 15 other Pacific islands.
• In Latin America and the Caribbean, there
is a risk of significant species extinctions
in many tropical areas including in sites
facing mangrove losses. In the Mesoamerican
reef there are as many as 25 times more
fish of some species on reefs close to mangrove
areas than in areas where mangroves have
been lost.
• Ecological corridors between protected
areas have been planned for the maintenance
of biodiversity in natural ecosystems. Some
of these, such as the Mesoamerican Biological
Corridor, have been implemented serving
also as adaptation measures.
• Ten per cent and possibly as much as 50
per cent of the Arctic tundra could be replaced
by forests by 2100. The narrow, remaining
coastal tundra strips in Russia's European
Arctic are likely to disappear.
• Meanwhile climate change is likely to
favour pests, parasites and diseases such
as musk ox lung worm and nematodes in reindeer.
Forest fires and tree-killing insects such
as spruce bark beetle are likely to increase.
• In North America, between 15 per cent
and close to 40 per cent of plant and animal
species will be "committed to extinction"
by 2050. North American producers of wood
and timber could suffer losses of between
$1 billion and $2 billion a year during
the 21st century if climate change also
sparks changes in diseases, insect attacks
and forest fires.
• A European-wide assessment of numerous
plant species under various warming scenarios
found that more than half could become vulnerable,
endangered, critically endangered, or committed
to extinction by 2080 if they are unable
to disperse. Other studies find that species
would generally shift their natural ranges
from the southwestern to the northeastern
parts of the continent in response to climate
change.
• Nearly half of Asia’s biodiversity is
at risk because of climate change. “Climate
change is likely to affect forest expansion
and migration, and exacerbate threats to
biodiversity resulting from land use/cover
change and population pressure in most of
Asia. Marine and coastal ecosystems in Asia
are likely to be affected by sea level rise
and temperature increases.”
International Day for Biological Diversity
22 May http://www.biodiv.org/programmes/outreach
/awareness/biodiv-day-2007-ctrs.shtml
Billion Tree Campaign in seven languages:
http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign
The Green Belt Movement: http://www.greenbeltmovement.org
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation: http://www.fondationprincealbertiidemonaco.net
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF): http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org/
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson
