United Nations: India will join the UN
efforts to plant billions of trees around the globe and its
contribution has pushed the international campaign run by the
world body to over 10 billion trees planted.
"It is wonderful to have India join a campaign that
will give so much in terms of trees and the future of the
planet," said Achim Steiner, who is the head of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The formal announcement that India was joining the
UNEP's Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign (BTC) was
made by the Environment secretary, Vijay Sharma, during the
ministerial meeting organised the environment body in Bail.
One of the fastest growing economies in the world,
India is also one of the largest consumers of wood.
Since 2007, India has planted 2 billion trees.
"In September we thought hitting seven billion trees
was an enormous achievement but with this latest planting by
India we have now reached over 10 billion in the Billion Tree
Campaign that has galvanised governments and people around the
world," Steiner said.
"It is this kind of solidarity that will make a
difference for moving economies towards a low carbon and
sustainable world," he added.
The campaign reached its 7 billionth tree ? one
for every person on the planet ? last September when China
signed on and contributed nearly 3 billion trees.
India joining has pushed it over the 10 billion mark.
Almost one third of the planted forests in Asia,
mostly in China and India, have served the purpose of
environmental protection, according to the UN.
There are 170 countries participating in the campaign
with trees being planted by individuals, NGOs, civil society
groups to corporate organisations.
Countries that have planted more than a hundred
million trees span from Ethiopia (with 1.4 billion trees) and
Turkey (711 million trees) to Mexico (with 537 million trees).
The UN also recognised that as part of the Green
Commonwealth Games 2010 in Delhi, organisers have introduced
an initiative to expand the forest coverage in the city.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 27, 2010, 00:03