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UN-led campaign that planted 12 billion trees worldwide starts new phase
A United Nations campaign that has overseen the planting of more than 12 billion trees around the world has been handed over to a youth-led environmental organization based in Germany that will build on the initiative’s achievements over the past four years.
“More than 12 billion trees have been planted by people from all walks of life – schoolchildren to presidents – testament to a growing global movement for sustainability,” said Secretary-General ban Ki-moon in his remarks marking the handover of the campaign.
“As we look to the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development and beyond, we will need just this kind of commitment if we are to guarantee that our planet can continue to provide the foundation we need to reduce poverty and improve security and opportunity for all,” he added.
Inspired by the work of the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai and her Green Belt Movement, the Billion Tree Campaign was created by the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in 2006 and quickly surpassed its initial goal of planting one billion trees in just a few months, reaching the 12 billion landmark in October.
The campaign counted with the participation of 193 countries with China currently in the lead, having planted a total of 2.8 billion trees since 2004. India holds second place with 2.1 billion trees, followed by Ethiopia, Mexico and Turkey.
According to a news release issued by UNEP, the agency had always seen the campaign as a finite project and decided to transfer it to a partner rather than close it.
The campaign was handed over to the youth-oriented Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation yesterday during a ceremony held at the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa.
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