Ireland is determined to fight climate change by planting 440 million trees by 2040: 70% of these trees will be conifers, and the rest broad-leaf. “The target for new forestation is approximately 22 million trees per year,” a spokesperson for the Department of Communications Climate Action and Environment said. “Over the next 20 years, the target is to plant 440 million.”
The initiative is part of the country’s goal to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Following Ethiopia’s epic achievement planting more than 350 million trees in 12 hours, there is a growing movement to plant for a better future. Ireland has the lowest forest cover of all European countries – approximately 11% compared to an average of more than 30%.
Meanwhile, just over 9,000km away, Peru is set to plant one million trees around the site of Machu Picchu as part of a reforestation project to prevent mudslides and to protect the ancient Incan citadel from forest fires. The trees will also help to conserve local plant and animal life.
When it was discovered in 1911, Machu Picchu was engulfed in jungle, which had kept it hidden for many centuries, but the trees were cleared in order to gain access to the site and open it up for archaeology and, later, tourism. But mudslides and forest fires have become an increasing threat to the ruins.
The new project follows reforestation activity in 2019 that saw search engine Ecosia and other organisations help to plant 1.2 million trees in the South American country.
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Ireland is determined to fight climate change by planting 440 million trees by 2040: 70% of these trees will be conifers, and the rest broad-leaf. “The target for new forestation is approximately 22 million trees per year,” a spokesperson for the Department of Communications Climate Action and Environment said. “Over the next 20 years, the target is to plant 440 million.”
The initiative is part of the country’s goal to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Following Ethiopia’s epic achievement planting more than 350 million trees in 12 hours, there is a growing movement to plant for a better future. Ireland has the lowest forest cover of all European countries – approximately 11% compared to an average of more than 30%.
Meanwhile, just over 9,000km away, Peru is set to plant one million trees around the site of Machu Picchu as part of a reforestation project to prevent mudslides and to protect the ancient Incan citadel from forest fires. The trees will also help to conserve local plant and animal life.
When it was discovered in 1911, Machu Picchu was engulfed in jungle, which had kept it hidden for many centuries, but the trees were cleared in order to gain access to the site and open it up for archaeology and, later, tourism. But mudslides and forest fires have become an increasing threat to the ruins.
The new project follows reforestation activity in 2019 that saw search engine Ecosia and other organisations help to plant 1.2 million trees in the South American country.