Opera Verde: WOWnature’s TV series about superforests on Rai 3
11 September 2024
Three Billion Trees by 2030: the EU biodiversity strategy
With this new strategy, the EU commits to plant 3 billion additional trees by 2030 with the aim of increasing forest area, forest resilience and their role in reversing biodiversity loss, mitigating the effects of the climate crisis and helping people adapt to climate change.
The planting of at least 3 billion additional trees in the EU by 2030 must be done in accordance with ecological principles; the trees will be in addition to those that would be planted in any case. The European Commission will facilitate, encourage and monitor the process by counting the trees planted: all European citizens will be able to follow and keep track of tree planting through this web platform and an interactive online map with an integrated counter – called “Map-My-Tree” – developed by the European Commission together with the European Environment Agency.
Some basic principles to follow when planting trees
“Plant and grow the right tree, in the right place, and for the right purpose”: the European Union has been very clear on the criteria to be adopted for the planting of new trees and this will require long-term planning and monitoring.
This requires long term planning and monitoring. In practice, this means planting the right mix of tree species not only in forests, but also in agroforestry, agricultural and urban areas. No trees should be planted in areas of high nature value such as mires, bogs, fens, wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands. The Commission will facilitate, motivate, count and monitor the process: it will provide political and technical support, communication and labelling.
A very important detail that we want to share with you is this: the planting of new trees should not be an alternative to the preservation of existing trees and forests, which remains the top priority, but an additional effort to increase tree coverage within the European Union. Another detail of fundamental importance is that it will not be the European Commission to plant the trees but all the realities that are currently working to reforest natural areas: just as WOWnature is doing thanks to citizens and companies that adopt in our forests.
