Out on a limb: Ottawa is falling behind on its promise to plant 2 billion trees
The federal government’s ambitious program to plant two billion trees has hit a roadblock as it failed to meet its targets for the third planting season. According to data from Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa fell short of its goal to plant 60 million trees last season, only managing to get 46.6 million saplings in the ground.
Despite this setback, a spokesperson for Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson’s office remains optimistic that the program will still reach its ultimate target by 2030-31. Cindy Caturao, the minister’s press secretary, emphasized that the program is complex and requires time to collect seeds, establish nursery operations, and prepare planting sites. The initial years of the program have focused on jump-starting efforts to produce saplings for planting.
While Caturao acknowledged that planting efforts will eventually accelerate, she cited external challenges such as pandemic-related constraints, supply chain disruptions, and wildfire conditions that have hampered progress. These factors have underscored the urgent need to address climate change and protect biodiversity.
Since the program’s inception in 2021, the government claims to have planted 157.6 million trees, surpassing the initial target of 150 million trees. However, this figure includes 54 million trees planted through other initiatives like Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund. Jerry DeMarco, federal commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, has criticized this accounting method as “creative.”
With only seven growing seasons remaining to plant over 1.8 billion trees, the government faces a daunting challenge. A recent announcement revealed that agreements are in place to plant an additional 716 million trees, signaling ongoing efforts to meet the ambitious two billion tree target.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled the tree planting program during the 2019 election campaign, committing $3.2 billion over a decade to support the initiative. Despite the funding allocation, NRCAN spent less than budgeted in the 2023-24 planting season, raising concerns about financial management.
The government collaborates with Indigenous communities, provinces, territories, businesses, and non-profit organizations to carry out tree planting activities. Cost-sharing agreements ensure that the federal government covers half of the planting costs. In December 2021, NRCAN outlined its objectives for the program, highlighting the importance of collective action to combat climate change and preserve natural ecosystems.
