Whatever Happened to the One Trillion Trees Initiative of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020,

                                    

                                  World Economic Forum

Whatever Happened to the One Trillion Trees Initiative

Children Lead Tree Planting  Movement Worldwide 

Dr Abe V Rotor 

The world is rallying the planting of trees to reverse the effects of climate change. The World Economic Forum's One Trillion Trees Initiative is perhaps the largest effort in history to regreen the planet in the next 10 years.

Top, clockwise: Children's organized movement in schools; 

tree-planting community movement; home orchard 

and garden project. Photos by A V Rotor.

  

                                      Paradox and caring hands can go together. ~                                    

"There were around 6 trillion trees before the onset of the agricultural revolution 12,000 years ago. Now, only half remain. When we lose these forests, we’re not just losing places of calm and comfort – we’re losing the broad diversity of life they house, the human health and livelihoods they provide, and the climate resilience they give the entire world." - 

50th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020, 

At the 50th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020, you proudly announced that the United States would join the global Trillion Trees Initiative. Your decision for the United States to participate in the World Economic Forum’s Trillion Trees Initiative positions our Nation to play a vital role in achieving its goals. In October 2020, you signed Executive Order 13955, establishing the One Trillion Trees Interagency Council (Council) and appointing us as its co-chairs. Pursuant to Executive Order 13895, the Council will develop, coordinate, and promote Federal Government interactions with respect to tree growing, restoration, and conservation eforts and coordinate with key stakeholders to advance the Trillion Trees Initiative. The Federal Government has many agencies and programs that can contribute. Tis document describes major opportunities, or “focus areas,” that the Federal Government will pursue to fulfill its obligations under Executive Order 13955, which provides a framework for coordinating Government resources to help achieve the Trillion Trees Initiative’s goals. This framework includes the following general categories: 

• Federal forest management; 

• Technical assistance for private landowners and State, Tribal, and county governments; 

• Public/private partnerships; 

• Data and science; and 

• International sustainable forest management. The Council will proudly implement Executive Order 13955 for years to come in order to continue growing, restoring, and conserving trees in the United States and around the world.

                            Support for Trillion Trees 

COURSE TO THE FUTURE 

In January 2020, recognizing the importance of forests, the global community issued a Trillion Trees Challenge at the 50th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The Davos forum launched 1t.org, a global platform for conserving, restoring, and growing 1 trillion trees by 2030. 

American Forests, a conservation organization founded in 1875, collaborated with the Administration and worked with the World Economic Forum to establish a U.S. Chapter of 1t.org. This is the first national chapter of the global movement. 

At the Davos forum, President Donald J. Trump announced that the United States would join the Trillion Trees Initiative. In October 2020, President Trump signed Executive Order 13955 establishing the One Trillion Trees Interagency Council (Council). Co-chaired by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, the Council spans more than a dozen Federal agencies and works independently from the American Forests and 1t.org. 

• The Council’s task is to identify opportunities for Federal agencies to work with partners to protect, restore, and conserve trees. 
• The Council will recommend ways to overcome statutory, regulatory, and other barriers that might stand in the way. 
• The Council will also establish methods for tracking and measuring Federal contributions to the Trillion Trees Initiative, including trees grown, restored, and conserved. 
• The United States has many opportunities to contribute to the Trillion Trees Initiative. We have 8 percent of the world’s forests across 766 million acres (about a third of the Nation’s land area), including 238 million acres of Federal forests, all managed for growing and conserving trees. 
• The Federal Government also offers technical assistance and financial support for growing trees and conserving forests on State, Tribal, private, and other lands. The United States has opportunities to strengthen existing and develop new public/ private partnerships that will build Nation’s capacity to grow more trees. 
• Federal agencies also conduct extensive research on growing trees and conserving forests and are able to make their data and science available to support the Trillion Trees Initiative. Drawing on Federal expertise in forest science and management, the United States will work with partners to plant trees and protect and sustainably manage forests around the world. (Internet)