China helps plant seeds of optimism

NEW YORK CITY: China was this morning expected to make a "very big announcement", organizers of a major environmental project told China Daily here ahead of a United Nations summit on climate change.

The announcement was to be made during an event in New York to highlight the Billion Tree Campaign, an international tree-planting scheme launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in November 2006.

"There will be a very big announcement by China (at the event)," Satinder Bindra, UNEP's director of communications and public information, said on Saturday (US time). He declined to elaborate further.

The climate change summit will be held tomorrow.

The campaign event was organized to celebrate those who have made efforts to fight global warming by planting trees, including China.

The nation tops the UN's list of tree-planting countries, having planted 2.6 billion since the campaign started, and the government aims to increase its forest coverage from 18 percent to 20 percent during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10).

Trees absorb carbon dioxide, one of the chief culprits for climate change, and scientists say protecting forests is crucial to combating climate change.

"The Billion Tree Campaign is one of the UN's most successful campaigns," said Bindra, who explained it encourages communities, businesses and governments to enter tree-planting pledges online, with the aim of planting at least 1 billion trees worldwide each year.

"We want the campaign to spread the message that people everywhere can take steps to stop climate change, which is the most serious crisis in the world today," said Bindra.

The campaign hit the 4 billion mark in May this year and organizers have set a goal of planting 7 billion trees - one for every person on the planet - by the end of December, when the UN will stage its climate change conference in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark.

"We are very confident of meeting that goal," added Bindra.

Forests now cover just 30 percent of the planet's land area, a reduction of at least one third.

"It is time to reverse the trend. It is time to act," said Achim Steiner, executive director of the UNEP.

It is estimated that the carbon stored in forest biomass, deadwood, litter and soil is roughly 50 percent more than the carbon in the atmosphere. Scientists say curbing deforestation is a highly cost-effective way to reduce emissions.

The campaign strongly encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that suit the local environment.

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