MILTON – There is no path to net-zero emissions that does not involve Canada’s forests. Planting trees is a natural climate solution that removes and stores carbon from the atmosphere while providing other benefits such as better air and water quality, particularly in urban settings and decreases risk of wildland fire to rural communities; and supports biodiversity. It also provides spaces for recreational opportunities that improve our wellbeing and our connection to nature.
Today, the Government of Canada announced $190,403 to Conservation Halton in support of its plan to plant two billion trees over 10 years. Conservation Halton will plant 50,000 trees at 36 sites across the region. This project will support planned restoration projects in ecosystems such as wetlands, creeks, former farmland, and forested areas and will provide increased regional biodiversity, resilient communities, and the creation of green jobs.
The Two Billion Trees program continues the Government of Canada’s existing efforts to advance tree planting as an important part of the solution to climate change. Canada’s plan to plant two billion trees is projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12 megatonnes annually by 2050. It will create up to 4,300 green jobs.
Natural Resources Canada is implementing this plan with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Two Billion Trees program represents a 40-percent increase in the number of trees we typically plant over a decade and will see trees planted in both urban and rural areas across the country. In 10 years, the new trees will cover the equivalent of over 1.1 million hectares, an area twice the size of Prince Edward Island.
“Planting trees is essential for a growing community like Milton. Healthy tree coverage and a vibrant urban canopy are essential for our air quality, our health, our shade and our regional biodiversity! I am absolutely thrilled that, as part of our 2 Billion Trees program, 50,000 trees will be planted right here in our region in partnership with Conservation Halton — that’s a new tree for every family in Milton! This news brings with it a more resilient community, green jobs, environmental protection and long-lasting benefits for the people of Halton Region, now and in the future.” – Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth & to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport)
The Government of Canada has committed up to $3.2 billion over 10 years, starting in 2021–22, to deliver on this commitment.
