An indigenous pencil cedar, or perhaps an African olive tree, planted in the Horn of Africa has become a living symbol of enduring hope, optimism and action for communities and countries determined to combat climate change and revive biodiversity.
The ambitious goal of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Green Belt Movement, the Prince Albert II Foundation and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) to take a step towards combating climate change through planting one billion trees in a year reached its target in late 2007.
Now that figure is approaching two billion trees, the momentum is getting stronger by the day, and the organisers couldn't be happier.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, said he was delighted that an initiative to catalyze the pledging and the planting of one billion trees has achieved and indeed surpassed its mark.
"This is a further sign of the breathtaking momentum witnessed this year on the challenge for this generation—climate change."
"Some said it would never happen, and others couldn't at first see the raison d'être. But citizen after citizen, community after community and country after country, have proved the doubters wrong and demonstrated an abiding truth in 2007," he added.
The billionth tree planted is believed to have been in Ethiopia where, as part of the country's Millennium Commemoration 2007, close to 700 million trees have been planted alone.
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan Green Belt founder, Noble Laureate and co-patron of the campaign, said she was elated beyond words at the global interest and action that was motivated by the Billion Tree Campaign.
"We called you to action and you responded beyond our dreams. Thank you very much! Now we must keep the pressure on and continue the good work for the planet. Plant another tree today in celebration!"
The enthusiasm of individuals to make a difference is underlined by figures collected by UNEP which indicate that half of all those who planted are private citizens or households planting one to three trees. Significantly, another 13 percent have been planted by the private sector, which participated actively in the initiative. Pharmaceutical company, Bayer, for example, has pledged to plant 300,000 trees across the world as a major partner in the campaign.
World Agroforestry Centre Director General, Dennis Garrity, said this milestone shows clearly that the global community has the spirit and the substance to unite in achieving ambitious targets to create a better environment for all.
The campaign was embraced in earnest by community groups, NGOs, governments and private corporations all over the world, reflecting the spirit of collaboration and positive action that is needed to address an issue as immense as environmental degradation.
Ahead of the United Nations climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia in December 2007, Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, planted the first of a planned one billion trees in his country, showing Indonesia's willingness to deal with climate change issues is coming from the highest level.
In Armenia, 535,000 trees were planted by the Armenia Tree Project as part of the campaign. Across the country, local people have become involved in propagation, planting and educational activities; reforestation projects providing alternative incomes to deforestation.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, jointly established by UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization, and winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, has concluded that the global impacts of climate change are likely to be devastating, in many cases, but cost-effective solutions are available.
The loss of natural forests around the world contributes more to global emissions each year than the transport sector. Planting trees is just one solution to storing carbon and offsetting carbon dioxide emissions that are causing changes to the earth's climate. Other solutions include increased energy efficiency, reduced energy demand, better transport and the use of green energy.
The Billion Tree Campaign, inspired by a remark by Wangari Maathai, was launched at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi on 8 November 2006 and looks set to continue well past the two billion tree mark.
For more information, visit the campaign website at www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign
Story by The Communications Team, ICRAF