Liberals move forward to plant two billion trees

September 27, 2019

Montréal, QC — A re-elected Liberal government will plant two billion trees, using the power of nature to help fight climate change and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Canada’s vast forests, grasslands, and wetlands help clean our air, safeguard our water, and provide crucial wildlife habitat. But just as nature is under threat by climate change, it can also be a critical ally in the fight against it. Natural climate solutions like planting trees and protecting grasslands can also help get Canada significantly closer to reaching its emissions-reduction targets.

“Nature isn’t just part of our identity as Canadians. It’s part of the solution to climate change. And it’s a solution we can start using today,” said the Leader of the Liberal Party, Justin Trudeau. “Trees are a fundamental part of a cleaner future. They’re renewable. They’re sustainable. And, eventually, they recycle themselves. All we have to do is plant the first one.”

A re-elected Liberal government will use the power of nature to fight climate change:

  • We will launch an ambitious program to plant two billion trees over ten years, as part of a $3 billion effort to deploy natural climate solutions.
  • This program will also take concrete action to conserve and restore Canada’s forests, grasslands, agricultural lands, wetlands, and coastal areas;
  • We will support about 3,500 seasonal jobs in tree planting;
  • We will help cities expand and diversify their urban forests; and
  • We will protect Canada’s trees from infestations, and help rebuild our forests after a wild-fire.

This builds on a strong Liberal record of protecting the environment, including:

  • Committing to increase Canada’s land and ocean conservation to 25 per cent by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030;
  • Making the largest investment in nature conservation in Canada’s history — $1.35 billion in protecting more land and waters, and supporting species at risk.

“When Doug Ford took an axe to Ontario’s tree planting programs and the seasonal jobs it supported, we took a stand,” said Mr. Trudeau. “We can either go back to the Harper years, when the Conservatives did nothing about climate change — or fight for a better future. I’m for moving forward.”

Backgrounder: Planting two billion trees and using the power of nature to fight climate change