The new EU Forest Strategy for 2030 aims to implement the EU 3 billion additional trees pledge based on the principle “the right tree, in the right place for the right purpose” to reverse the current trend of biodiversity loss, ecosystems degradation and climate change. The pledge aims to double the EU’s forests expansion rate under the business-as-usual scenario, by promoting the planting of 3 billion additional trees by 2030. Larger and more resilient forest areas, more trees in agriculture and urban areas, focus on the right species in the right locations, are crucial elements of this ambitious initiative aligned with the Nature Restoration Law. The Commission, in collaboration with the European Environment Agency (EEA), has set a register and “Map-My-Tree” tool to enable citizens and organizations to report and track progress towards the target.
Milieu is leading an EU-funded project to support the Commission in involving relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the 3 billion trees pledge on the ground, providing guidance on funding available at EU and national level to promote tree planting in the EU and understanding the challenges stakeholders face to develop planting trees initiatives in the EU territory. This project is led by Milieu with the involvement of Ecologic Institute and Stritih.
The EU 3BT Pledge is not about a numerical target but about fostering collective action to safeguard our planet for future generations, integrating nature-based solutions to achieve positive climate mitigation and adaptation effects and contribute to biodiversity while benefiting the economy with new jobs, and improve public health. To maximise benefits for climate and biodiversity, the European Commission has published guidelines on afforestation and reforestation and on Funding opportunities. The 3 Billion Trees initiative requires that the trees planted are “additional” to those that would have been planted anyway, are planted in a way that benefits biodiversity and climate, prioritizing native species resilient to climate change. The additionality principle also integrates the planting of trees initiatives to replace non-resilient forest monocultures with purely economic purpose with diverse resilient multifunctional forests, not to be harvested in the coming decades. The EU Forest Strategy was accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Document – SWD (2021) 651 – on the 3 billion trees planting pledge for 2030 which describes the core principles and criteria. Please check the European Commission website to know more about it.
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How to register your planted trees
Discover here the procedure to register your planted trees, be part of the Pledge, and contribute to the change!
