Canada is a leader in environmental economic development and nature-based climate solutions. Canada's forests are integral to our fight against both climate change and biodiversity loss. This is why the Government of Canada launched the 2 Billion Trees program - to expand our forests, build resiliency and restore important ecosystems, all while creating sustainable jobs for Canadians.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced the launch of the third call for proposals of the 2 Billion Trees program. This will result in additional long-term agreements with eligible partners, including Indigenous communities and partners, municipalities and for- and non-profit organizations as we continue to advance our commitment to support partners in planting two billion trees by 2031.
New to this call for proposals is that applicants can apply at any time. Making the call for proposals ongoing provides applicants with the flexibility they need to get the right trees planted in the right place at the right time. The program will provide decisions at four periods in 2023 - July, August, October and December - to get trees planted across the country.
Ensuring that tree planting is done on such a large scale and in a sustainable, inclusive manner requires careful planning. The tree planting process - from seeds, to seedlings and saplings, to tree-planting - takes several years for our partner organizations. Multi-year agreements supported by the 2 Billion Trees program create predictable, stable, long-term demand for nurseries and others supporting the supply of seedlings, ensuring that the right tree is grown and planted in the right place.
Response to date has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 500 sites being planted and restored across Canada by our partners. As part of the longer-term plan to plant two billion trees, this third call for proposals will allow Canada to build on this momentum and the multi-year agreements already in place.
The 2 Billion Trees program is one of the many measures the Government of Canada is taking to restore nature as it welcomes some 196 countries to Montreal for the Fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, December 7-19, 2022. COP15 presents an opportunity for Canada to show its leadership in taking actions to conserve and restore nature and halt biodiversity loss around the world.
Planting two billion trees is no small feat. By working with local and municipal organizations and Indigenous groups and communities, this call for proposals will enable us to meet our tree planting goals, together, one tree at a time.
