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Billion Tree Campaign Website: http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign
Green Belt Movement Website: http://www.greenbeltmovement.org

Wangari Maathai, Prince of Monaco and Agroforestry Experts Back Global Down-to-Earth Action to Combat Climate Change Nairobi, 8 November 2006 –The vital importance of voluntary collective action in the fight against climate change is spotlighted today with the launch of a new campaign to plant a billion trees. The Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will encourage all sectors of society—from the concerned citizen to the philanthropic corporation-- to take small but practical steps to combat what is probably the key challenge of the 21st century. The campaign, backed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Green Belt Movement activist Professor Wangari Maathai, His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and the World Agroforestry Centre-ICRAF, was unveiled at the annual climate change convention conference taking place in Nairobi. Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP said: “Intergovernmental talks on addressing climate change can often be difficult, protracted and sometimes frustrating, especially for those looking on but we cannot and must not lose heart”. “Meanwhile, action does not need to be confined to the corridors of the negotiation halls. The campaign, which aims to plant a minimum of one billion trees in 2007, offers a direct and straight forward path down which all sectors of society can step to contribute to meeting the climate change challenge,” he added. “In re-creating lost forests and developing new ones, we can also address other concerns including loss of biodiversity, improving water availability, stemming desertification and reducing erosion,” said Mr Steiner. Professor Maathai said: "When we are planting trees sometimes people will say to me, 'I don't want to plant this tree, because it will not grow fast enough'. I have to keep reminding them that the trees they are cutting today were not planted by them, but by those who came before. So they must plant the trees that will benefit communities in the future." Mr Steiner added: “The Billion Tree Campaign is but an acorn, but it can also be practically and symbolically a significant expression of our common determination to make a difference in developing and developed countries alike.” “We have but a short time to avert serious climate change. We need action. We need to plant trees alongside other concrete community-minded actions and in doing so, send a signal to the corridors of political power across the globe that the watching and waiting is over — that countering climate change can take root via one billion small but significant acts in our gardens, parks, countryside and rural areas,” said Mr Steiner. Other actions include people driving less, switching off lights in empty rooms and turning off electrical appliances rather than leaving them on standby. If everyone in the United Kingdom switched off rather than left TV sets and other appliances on standby it would save enough electricity to power close to three million homes for a year, according to some estimates. The idea for Plant for the Planet: The Billion Tree Campaign was inspired by Professor Maathai who, along with the Prince, is co-patron of the new initiative. When a corporate group in the United States told Professor Maathai it was planning to plant a million trees, her response was: “That’s great, but what we really need is to plant a billion trees.” His Serene Highness Albert II, said: “I am particularly honoured to be associated with the founder, Professor Wangari Maathai, whose involvement in the process of reforestation has been, and continues to be, inspirational. To plant a tree for future generations is a simple gesture, yet a strong symbol of sustainable development.” Under the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign, people and entities from around the world are encouraged to enter pledges on a web site www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign. The campaign is open to all – individuals, children and youth groups, schools, community groups, non-governmental organizations, farmers, private sector organizations, local authorities, and national governments. Each pledge can be anything from a single tree to 10 million trees. The Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign encourages the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment, with mixtures of species preferred over other options. The campaign identifies four key areas for planting: degraded natural forests and wilderness areas; farms and rural landscapes; sustainably managed plantations; and urban environments but it can also begin with a single tree in a back garden. Advice on tree planting will be made available via the website, as well as information about reforestation and other tree-related issues, including links to appropriate partner organizations best equipped to give locally tailored advice, such as the World Agroforestry Centre-ICRAF. Dennis Garrity, ICRAF Director General said: “the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign is a superb initiative by UNEP to link people, trees and the environment. Planting trees is great, although using appropriate scientific knowledge to plant the right tree in the right place is even greater. The 500 million smallholder farmers in the tropics stand to benefit tremendously from the greater recognition, appreciation and promotion of the right trees in the right places, so that such trees may transform both lives and landscapes. The responsibility for tree planting will lie with the person or organization making the pledge via the campaign website. All contributing participants to the Billion Tree Campaign will receive a certificate of involvement. They will be encouraged to follow up via the website so UNEP can verify that the trees have survived, in partnership with recognized certification mechanisms. The website will record the ongoing tally of pledges, and also publish photos and accounts from registered campaign members of what they have achieved. Notes to Editors For information about the Billion Tree Campaign and how to join, please see: http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign Details of the second meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 2), in conjunction with the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP 12), taking place in Nairobi from 6 to 17 November 2006, can be found at www.unfccc.int UNEP climate change resources are at http://www.unep.org/themes/climatechange/ For More Information Please Contact Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson, Office of the Executive Director, on Tel: +254 20 762 3084; Mobile: +254 733 632 755, E-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org, or Elisabeth Waechter, Associate Media Officer, on Tel: +254 20 7623088, Mobile: 0720-173 968; E-mail: Elisabeth.waechter@unep.org Fast Facts Trees are the largest and longest living organisms on earth. To make up for the loss of trees in the past decade, we would need to plant 130 million hectares (or 1.3 million km2), an area as large as Peru. Covering the equivalent of 130 million hectares would entail planting approximately 14 billion trees every year for 10 consecutive years. This would require each person to plant and care for at least two seedlings a year. Rehabilitating tens of millions of hectares of degraded land and reforesting the Earth is necessary to restore and maintain the productivity of soil and water resources. Expanding tree cover on denuded lands will reduce pressures on remaining primary forests, helping to preserve habitats and to safeguard the Earth’s biological diversity. It will also mitigate the build-up of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Rainforests cover only 7 per cent of the land on earth but they contain nearly half of all the trees on earth. They generate about 40 per cent of the world’s oxygen. In one year, an average tree inhales 12 kilograms (26 pounds) of CO2 and exhales enough oxygen for a family of four for a year. One hectare of trees can absorb 6 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. A long haul flight will produce 3.75 tonnes of CO2 (or one tonne of carbon) How much of the world is forested? Forests cover 30 per cent of the planet’s total land area. The total forested area in 2005 was just under 4 billion hectares, at least one third less than before the dawn of agriculture, some 10,000 years ago. (100 hectares is the same as 1 square kilometre). Where are most forests found? Forests are unevenly distributed. The ten most forest-rich countries, which account for two-thirds of the total forested area, are the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States, China, Australia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Peru and India. What is a primary forest? On a global average, more than one-third of all forests are primary forests, defined as forests where there are no clearly visible indications of human activity and where ecological processes are not significantly disturbed. Six million hectares of primary forest are lost every year due to deforestation and modification through selective logging and other human interventions. Only 20 per cent of the world’s forests remain in large intact areas. These forests consist of tropical rain forests, mangrove, coastal and swamp forests. Monsoon and deciduous forests flourish in the drier and more mountainous regions. Primary forests shelter diverse animal and plant species, and culturally diverse indigenous people, with deep connections to their habitat. What are the protective functions of forests? Trees quite literally form the foundations of many natural systems. They help to conserve soil and water, control avalanches, prevent desertification, protect coastal areas and stabilize sand dunes. Forests are the most important repositories of terrestrial biological biodiversity, housing up to 90 per cent of known terrestrial species. Trees and shrubs play a vital role in the daily life of rural communities. They provide sources of timber, fuel wood, food, fodder, essential oils, gums, resins and latex, medicines and shade. Forest animals have a vital role in forest ecology such as pollination, seed dispersal and germination. What are the links between forests and climate change? Trees absorb carbon dioxide and are vital carbon sinks. It is estimated that the world’s forests store 283 Gigatonnes of carbon in their biomass alone, and that carbon stored in forest biomass, deadwood, litter and soil together is roughly 50 per cent more than the carbon in the atmosphere. Carbon in forest biomass decreased in Africa, Asia and South America in the period 1990–2005. For the world as a whole, carbon stocks in forest biomass decreased annually by 1.1 Gigatonne of carbon (equivalent to 4 billion 25kg sacks of charcoal). The loss of natural forests around the world contributes more to global emissions each year than the transport sector. Curbing deforestation is a highly cost-effective way to reduce emissions. Other solutions include increased energy efficiency, reduced energy demand, better transport and the use of green energy. What is the deforestation rate on Earth? World population currently stands at 6.5 billion people. It is projected to grow to 9 billion by 2042. The expansion of agricultural and industrial needs, population growth, poverty, landlessness and consumer demand are the major driving forces behind deforestation. Most deforestation is due to conversion of forests to agricultural land. Global removals of wood for timber and fuel amounted to 3.1 billion cubic metres in 2005. Worldwide, deforestation continues at an alarming rate, about 13 million hectares per year, an area the size of Greece or Nicaragua. Africa and South America have the largest net loss of forests. In Africa it is estimated that nearly half of forest loss was due to removal of wood fuel. Forests in Europe are expanding. Asia, which had a net loss in the 1990s, reported a net gain of forests in the past five years, primarily due to large-scale forestation in China. Forest planting and the natural expansion of forests help to reduce the net loss of forests. The net change in forested area in the period 2000–2005 is estimated at 7.3 million hectares a year (an area about the size of Sierra Leone or Panama), down from 8.9 million hectares a year in the period 1990–2000. Where should trees be planted as a priority? Favourable growing conditions give nations in the southern hemisphere an advantage over most industrial countries in the economics of wood production. Plantations in the south can produce 10–20 cubic metres of wood per hectare per year, considerably more than plantations in most northern temperate regions and 10–20 times the typical productivity of natural forests worldwide. The Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign encourages the planting of trees in four key areas, namely: (i) degraded natural forests and wilderness areas; (ii) farms and rural landscapes; (iii) sustainably managed plantations; and (iv) urban environments. Trees have to be well adapted to local conditions, and mixtures of species are preferred over monocultures. Many trees have communal benefits, especially for the poor, and ownership, access and use rights are as important as the number of trees. Who owns forests and trees? Forest and tree ownership and tenure are changing. Eighty per cent of the world’s forests are publicly owned, but private ownership is on the rise, especially in North and Central America and in Oceania. About 11 per cent of the world’s forests are designated for the conservation of biological diversity. These areas are mainly, but not exclusively, in protected areas. Who cares for forests and trees? Around 10 million people are employed in conventional forest management and conservation. Formal employment in forestry declined by about 10 per cent from 1990 to 2000. More than 1 billion forest adjacent people are informal custodians of forests. They rely on forest products and services for a significant part of their livelihoods. Approximately 500 million small-scale farmers in the tropics retain and manage trees on their farms for livelihood goals. Trees and Humanity Forests provide not only environmental protection, but also significant income and livelihood options globally for more than one billion forest-dependent people. Trees provide a wide range of products (timber, fruit, medicine, beverages, fodder) and services (carbon sequestration, shade, beautification, erosion control, soil fertility). Without trees human life would be unsustainable. Forests also play an important cultural, spiritual and recreational role in many societies. In some cases, they are integral to the very definition and survival of indigenous and traditional cultures. Forests and trees are symbolically important in most of the world’s major religions. Trees symbolize historical continuity, they link earth and heavens and, to many traditions, are home to both good and bad spirits and the souls of ancestors. Forests also play an important role in offering recreational opportunities and spiritual solace in modern societies. They are universally powerful symbols, a physical expression of life, growth and vigour to urban, rural and forest dwellers alike. Medicinal products from trees help to cure diseases and increase fertility. Aspirin originally came from the bark of a willow tree. Quinine, the cure for malaria, comes from the bark of Cinchona trees. Trees preside over community discussions and marriages. They are planted at the birth of a child and at burial sites.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) mobilizes athletes to join the Billion Tree Campaign The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its partners, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), are undertaking the first global tree-planting project, launched in Nairobi during the 12th conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. To date, over 822 million tree-planting pledges have been received by UNDP and its partners. The IOC has invited all National Olympic Committees (NOC's), including the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) to participate in the Billion Trees Campaign. The OCM has taken the initiative to liaise with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, City Hall of Kuala Lumpur, National Sports Associations and sponsors/supporters of OCM to participate in the Billion Trees Campaign, and pledges of over 300 trees have been received. On 9th September 2007, the first tree-planting programme in Malaysia was launched when five (5) trees, donated by the City Hall of Kuala Lumpur were planted at Padang Merbuk, in conjunction with the Mizuno Wave Run 2007. In a simple ceremony, one tree each was planted by Encik Vijayakumar Raman, Senior Landscape Architect of the City Hall of Kuala Lumpur, Mr. Taizo Asai, Sport Business Section, Asia Oceania Department of Mizuno Corporation Japan, Ms. Ean Ooi, COO of World of Sports, Encik Munning Jamaludin, President of Pacesetters Athletics Club and Dato’ Sieh Kok Chi, Hon. Secretary of OCM. OCM will carry out more tree-planting events in the future, with the cooperation and support of all Malaysians.

Source United Nations: http://www.unep.org/BillionTreeCampaign/CampaignNews/IOC.asp

TREES FOR CITIES LAUNCHES TREE-ATHLON 2007 Registrations are now open for the 2007 Tree-Athlon, which will be staged in London on 15th September 2007, and in Leeds on 23rd September 2007, to raise money for the planting and care of thousands of trees across the UK and internationally. Organised by the charity Trees for Cities, the Tree-Athlon is a three-part event for fit tree lovers of all ages. It will include a 5km run, an urban ‘tree wish’ and even a fashion swap. Bring along a clean item of clothing you no longer want, and take away something you do. All left over clothes will be donated to a relevant charity. As well as the satisfaction of raising money for an excellent cause, one of the participants will receive an amazing accolade – a new woodland will be named in perpetuity after the Tree-athlete who raises the most in sponsorship! The London Tree-Athlon is taking place in Battersea Park on 15th September 2007 and the Leeds Tree-Athlon in Temple Newsam Park on the 23rd September. Registration is open now at: www.tree-athlon.org A range of celebrities have supported the Tree-Athlon initiative: celebrity impressionist Alistair McGowan, TV garden designer Diarmuid Gavin, TV sports presenter Gabby Logan, Channel 4’s City Gardener Matt James, whilst stand-up comedienne Shazia Mirza will this year once again be the woman with the starter’s gun. Registration costs £18 (on-line at www.tree-athlon.org) and all those that register will receive a Tree-Athlon t-shirt, a running bib printed with their urban ‘tree wish’, and at the event will be able to take part in a fashion swap. There will also be a range of activities for Tree-Athletes and spectators including guided tree walks, massages, wood sculptures, face painting, etc. The Tree-Athlon has been made possible through the generous support of high profile sponsors: Alpro soya, Citi, Metro, Royal & SunAlliance, Russian Timber Group Limited and Thames Water. Trees for Cities’ Chief Executive Graham Simmonds added: "The Tree-Athlon is great way for people to do their bit for the environment whilst getting fit and having fun - and the funds raised will enable Trees for Cities to get lots more trees planted from London's East End to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia". Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Leisure, Councillor John Procter said “ What a great way to get fit and healthy by running in our beautiful Temple Newsam Park, and at the same time raise money to plant trees in Leeds which will benefit all Leeds’ citizens in terms of their future health and well being. We are pleased to be supporting this event and committing to match fund the monies raised to plant trees in Leeds” - ends - Notes to Editors: Trees for Cities was originally established as Trees for London in 1993 ‘to advance the education of the public in the appreciation of trees and their amenity value; and in the furtherance of this, the protection and planting of trees particularly in inner city areas’. Trees for Cities has been particularly active in London, where it is co-ordinating a campaign for another million trees in the capital by 2012 (which has now passed the 450,000 mark) and now also has active projects in Manchester, Bristol, Leeds and Reading as well as international status, with projects from Addis Ababa in East Africa to Bucharest in Eastern Europe. “Alpro is delighted to be involved in the London and Midlands Tree-Athlons. We at Alpro believe in good health, not only for our customers, but also our people and most importantly the planet. By helping to plant more trees we can all help to save our planet. So get your running gear on and take a step towards a healthier planet”. Alpro produces a range of soya products including alternatives to milk, yogurts and desserts that are naturally healthy and delicious. "Citi is delighted to be supporting the Tree-Athlon initiative as Volunteering is a key component of Citi's community programme therefore it will enable our employees to volunteer on the day and help make this year's event a day to remember" says Tom Reid, Managing Director, Corporate Broking and UK Equity Capital Markets, Citi. Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi’s major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com. “Metro is proud to be involved with the London and Leeds Tree-Athlons 2007. We feel that this is a fantastic opportunity for us to give something back to the urban environment. By raising awareness among our readers and staff, we can work together to raise funding that will make a huge difference to inner city areas.” Metro is the UK’s fourth largest national weekday newspaper. Distributed in 17 UK cities, Metro provides a 25 minute read for commuters. It contains bite-sized national and international news wrapped around local information including entertainment, previews, listings, weather and travel. “Royal & SunAlliance is delighted to continue its relationship with Trees for Cities on a variety of initiatives, recognising the importance of trees in terms of quality of life and as a climate change mitigant. The ongoing relationship with Trees for Cities is an important element in Royal & SunAlliance 's corporate responsibility strategy of ensuring important environmental issues are addressed in day to day business operations” Royal & SunAlliance is one of the world's leading multinational quoted insurance groups, writing business in 130 countries and with major operations in the UK, Scandinavia, Canada, Ireland, the Middle East and Latin America. Focusing on general insurance, it has around 26,000 staff and, in 2005, its net written premiums were £5.4bn. With an almost 300 year heritage Royal & SunAlliance is the oldest insurance company in the world still trading under its original name. “Russian Timber Group is delighted to be a sponsor of the Tree-Athlon event. As a sustainable forest products company RTG is well aware of the benefits that trees have on our environment in cities as well as rural areas. We are encouraged by the development that Trees for Cities is making through the re-generation of many deprived urban areas around the world. Join us in making this year’s Tree-Athlon a great success.” Russian Timber Group Limited is a Jersey registered holding company for a forest products group with assets in Russia and China. THAMES WATER UTILITIES is the largest water and sewerage company in the UK, serving 13 million customers in London and across the Thames Valley. The area we serve covers over 5000 square miles from Kent And Essex in the east to the fringes of Gloucestershire in the west. For more information on Trees for Cities, visit www.treesforcities.org , or register for the Tree-Athlon at www.tree-athlon.org For further information, please contact: Sophie Randles sophie@treesforcities.org Trees for Cities Direct Tel: 020 7820 4419 Tel: 020 7587 1320 Zarya Deighton zarya@rt-com.com 020 7554 4495

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2007
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 is to be shared, in two equal parts, between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change. Indications of changes in the earth's future climate must be treated with the utmost seriousness, and with the precautionary principle uppermost in our minds. Extensive climate changes may alter and threaten the living conditions of much of mankind. They may induce large-scale migration and lead to greater competition for the earth's resources. Such changes will place particularly heavy burdens on the world's most vulnerable countries. There may be increased danger of violent conflicts and wars, within and between states. Through the scientific reports it has issued over the past two decades, the IPCC has created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming. Thousands of scientists and officials from over one hundred countries have collaborated to achieve greater certainty as to the scale of the warming. Whereas in the 1980s global warming seemed to be merely an interesting hypothesis, the 1990s produced firmer evidence in its support. In the last few years, the connections have become even clearer and the consequences still more apparent. Al Gore has for a long time been one of the world's leading environmentalist politicians. He became aware at an early stage of the climatic challenges the world is facing. His strong commitment, reflected in political activity, lectures, films and books, has strengthened the struggle against climate change. He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted. By awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 to the IPCC and Al Gore, the Norwegian Nobel Committee is seeking to contribute to a sharper focus on the processes and decisions that appear to be necessary to protect the world’s future climate, and thereby to reduce the threat to the security of mankind. Action is necessary now, before climate change moves beyond man’s control. Oslo, 12 October 2007

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/press.html
http://www.ipcc.ch/
http://www.ipcc.ch/links.htm
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn12794-polar-expedition-to-record-shrinking-arctic-ice.html
http://www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign/