The EU Plans To Plant 3 Billion Trees

The EU Plans To Plant 3 Billion Trees


It is a bold new plan by the European Commission (EC) to increase biodiversity by conserving 30% of the continent's land and water.

The European Union plans to plant 3 billion trees until 2030. It is part of a larger commitment to save nature on the continent at a time when one million species worldwide are now at risk of extinction, and future epidemics are also at risk from loss of biodiversity. In a new strategy report, the European Commission says it now targets to save 30% of the region’s land and oceans, based on science that suggests that amount is important to conserve biodiversity.

The amount of organic arable land must increase from 8% to a quarter in a decade time. By 2030, the use of pesticides should be halved, by which point almost a third of species must return to favorable conservation conditions.

In Ireland, about 90% of forested areas are lost. A 2018 study agrees that at least half of Europe’s forests have vanished in the last 6,000 years. “There is a huge opportunity to replant forests and bring back some of the original work of ecosystems there.

Planting trees and reforestation will also be necessary for Europe as areas get warmer - this will be a plan not just for biodiversity but to help cities to stay cool." Few cities, like Madrid, have already started adding more greenery to prepare. Tree planting can also help combat climate change, another major reason for which is the threat to species.

“Biodiversity strategies are needed to increase our resilience and prevent the emergence and spread of future diseases such as zoonoses. Because by ruining nature at an unusual rate, and now nearly 1 million species are in danger of extinction in just decades, we are literally threatening our own lives, our health, and well-being,” Frans Timmermans, the EC’s vice-president for the European Green Deal said at a press conference.

Ultimately, the success or failure of the strategy will rely on the commission and how countries implement the plans. While there are many pages in the governance framework to ensure that progress is closely scrutinized, it is currently unclear about possible steps – such as fines – member states face if they miss targets. “It all hinges on implementation,” says Georg Schwede.

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