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) [English] [Arabic] [Chinese]