General questions about the EU 3 Billion Trees Pledge
Announced in the new Biodiversity Strategy and Forestry Strategy, the EU 3 Billion Trees Pledge is a commitment to promote the planting of at least 3 billion additional trees in the EU by 2030. It aims to increase the total number of trees in the EU in order to achieve a wide range of benefits, including carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection and safeguarding other ecosystem services. These 3 billion trees are in addition to those that would be planted under a business-as-usual scenario between 2020 and 2030. In order to be part of the Pledge, the trees planted must meet a number of conditions, including compliance with ecological principles and sustainability criteria (see Q3).
The dedicated corporate identity can be used by registered initiatives for promotion and awareness-raising (see Q30). Financing support may also be obtained from EU and/or national budgets, and a set of guidelines will be published by the end of the year on possible funding opportunities.
Milieu Consulting is leading a project, with partners Ecologic Institute and Stritih, to support the Commission to implement the EU 3 Billion Trees Pledge. The project aims to identify initiatives that fit the conditions of the EU Pledge to plant 3 billion additional trees by 2030. A questionnaire was distributed in January 2023 and can be found in Milieu’s webpage to gather information on potential tree-planting initiatives.
A series of events is planned to promote and discuss about the EU 3 Billion Trees Pledge and its objectives. They include three webinars per year (on issues of common interest), two workshops per year (on issues of local interest) and an annual conference (on preliminary results of the project). The project will also promote networking and exchange of information among the Commission and stakeholders.
The first webinar took place on 28 February to answer questions about the EU 3 Billion Trees Pledge (presentations from the webinar can be viewed on Milieu’s website). The second webinar is scheduled for 19 April and will present the Commission’s Guidelines on Afforestation, Reforestation and Tree-Planting published in March 2023.
EU 3 Billion Trees Pledge – requirements
In order to count towards the pledge, tree-planting initiatives must fulfil the following conditions:
• Comply with the principle of additionality;
• Benefit biodiversity and climate change objectives, in line with the no-significant-harm principle, and exclude the planting of invasive alien species (see List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern);
• Plant only native tree species, unless it can be demonstrated that they are no longer adapted to projected climatic and pedo-hydrological conditions. Climate adapted species and varieties in full respect of ecological principles go along the concept of native tree species.
One of the requirements of the Pledge is that trees will not be cut for several decades. Although the timeframe is not specified, ideally these trees should not be planted to be cut and, if they do have to be cut, this should not happen for at least 80 years.
The Pledge was announced in the new Biodiversity Strategy on 20 May 2020 – every tree planted after that date can be counted.
Simply planting trees is not sufficient to contribute to the 3 Billion Trees Pledge. The Commission aims on a tangible and positive impact on the environment, the climate, the economy and quality of life of EU citizens. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that trees are planted in full respect of ecological principals and consideration of the socio-economic circumstances.
Planting 3 billion additional trees is an ambitious goal that requires sufficient land. Land ownership is very fragmented across the EU and has proven to be a barrier to scaling-up reforestation efforts. Finding and accessing the right land is complicated, with stakeholders already spending a lot of time speaking to landowners about identifying the right areas and facilitating access to the land. Permits are sometimes difficult to obtain, partly due to changes in legislation linked to the value of the CO2 offsetting credits.
Evidence suggests that there is sufficient land availability in the EU. However, there is considerable competition for land and it is not always easy to find suitable land for tree-planting. The recent Guidelines on Biodiversity-Friendly Afforestation, Reforestation and Tree Planting give advice on identifying suitable land and considering local conditions. Several factors play a role, including financial incentives for the owners, forest management plans, and legislative requirements in the Member States.
Do you have any questions?
Discover here the procedure to register your planted trees, be part of the Pledge, and contribute to the change!
