Ethiopia has planted more than 353 million trees in 12 hours, which officials believe is a world record. In 2017, India set the previous world record when around 1.5 million volunteers planted 66 million trees in 12 hours. Ethiopia’s planting was part of a wider reforestation campaign named Green Legacy, spearheaded by the country’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. Millions of Ethiopians were invited to take part in the challenge.
Less than 4% of Ethiopia’s land is forested, compared with around 30% at the end of the 19th century. The landlocked country is also suffering from the effects of climate crisis, with land degradation, soil erosion, deforestation, and recurrent droughts and flooding exacerbated by agriculture (80% of Ethiopia’s population depends on agriculture as a livelihood). In 2017, Ethiopia joined more than 20 other African nations in pledging to restore 100 million hectares of land as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative.
Back in 2016, Norway became the first country to ban deforestation – meaning that no product that contributes to deforestation anywhere in the world can be sold in the Scandinavian country. “Over the last few years, a number of companies have committed to cease the procurement of goods that can be linked to destruction of the rainforest. Until now, this has not been matched by similar commitments from governments,” said lobby group Rainforest Foundation Norway.
According to Climate Action, beef, palm oil, soy and wood products from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papau New Guinea were responsible for 40% of deforestation between 2000 and 2011. Meanwhile, these seven countries accounted for 44% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2015, Norway paid $1bn to Brazil as part of an agreement between the countries to stop deforestation of the Amazon. The partnership has reportedly resulted in Amazonian deforestation reducing by 75% over a 10-year period, saving more than 33,000 square miles of rainforest from clearance. Norway has similarly given aid to other countries, including Liberia, which has agreed to protect at least 30% of its forests from logging.
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Ethiopia has planted more than 353 million trees in 12 hours, which officials believe is a world record. In 2017, India set the previous world record when around 1.5 million volunteers planted 66 million trees in 12 hours. Ethiopia’s planting was part of a wider reforestation campaign named Green Legacy, spearheaded by the country’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. Millions of Ethiopians were invited to take part in the challenge.
Less than 4% of Ethiopia’s land is forested, compared with around 30% at the end of the 19th century. The landlocked country is also suffering from the effects of climate crisis, with land degradation, soil erosion, deforestation, and recurrent droughts and flooding exacerbated by agriculture (80% of Ethiopia’s population depends on agriculture as a livelihood). In 2017, Ethiopia joined more than 20 other African nations in pledging to restore 100 million hectares of land as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative.
Back in 2016, Norway became the first country to ban deforestation – meaning that no product that contributes to deforestation anywhere in the world can be sold in the Scandinavian country. “Over the last few years, a number of companies have committed to cease the procurement of goods that can be linked to destruction of the rainforest. Until now, this has not been matched by similar commitments from governments,” said lobby group Rainforest Foundation Norway.
According to Climate Action, beef, palm oil, soy and wood products from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papau New Guinea were responsible for 40% of deforestation between 2000 and 2011. Meanwhile, these seven countries accounted for 44% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2015, Norway paid $1bn to Brazil as part of an agreement between the countries to stop deforestation of the Amazon. The partnership has reportedly resulted in Amazonian deforestation reducing by 75% over a 10-year period, saving more than 33,000 square miles of rainforest from clearance. Norway has similarly given aid to other countries, including Liberia, which has agreed to protect at least 30% of its forests from logging.