Leading by Example: Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Ignites Global Climate Resilience Efforts

Getnet S.

Addis Ababa, July 31, 2025 (ENA)— The nationwide tree planting campaign, which is being held under the theme: “Renewal Through Planting,” is part of Ethiopia's annual plan of planting a staggering number of 7.5 billion trees during the ongoing rainy season.

During the official launch of this year’s Green Legacy program last month, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized Ethiopia’s ambitious target to plant enough seedlings this year alone to raise the total to 47.5 billion.

With sustained national commitment and public participation, the country aims to reach an impressive 54 billion seedlings by next year.

As part of this far-reaching green development initiative, Ethiopians from all walks of life are participating today in a nationwide tree planting campaign, striving to set a new milestone by planting 700 million saplings in a single day.

If achieved, this feat will surpass the previous record set on August 23 of last year, when over 600 million trees were planted in just one day, according to official figures.

Truly, Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative stands as a transformative model of climate resilience and environmental stewardship, offering a powerful blueprint for nations seeking to combat land degradation and climate change.

By mobilizing millions of citizens to plant billions of trees, Ethiopia has shown that large-scale reforestation and landscape restoration are achievable through national ownership and coordinated action.

This initiative not only contributes significantly to carbon sequestration and biodiversity restoration but also underscores the critical role of political will, community engagement, and long-term vision in addressing global environmental challenges.

 As such, Ethiopia is setting a precedent for how developing countries can lead in climate action and sustainability.

 As Ethiopia intensifies its efforts to combat desertification and mitigate the impacts of climate change, the massive tree-planting campaign—known as the Green Legacy Initiative—continues to gain strong momentum across Africa’s second-most populous nation.

The Green Legacy Initiative, launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is rooted in three foundational pillars: broad public mobilization, cost-effective agroecological innovation, and the integration of reforestation with socioeconomic development.

Far surpassing conventional afforestation efforts, the initiative aims to restore degraded ecosystems, reduce carbon emissions, build a climate-resilient economy, and foster inclusive, community-driven governance.

Through this transformative vision, Ethiopia is not only healing its depleted lands and ecosystems but also turning long-standing environmental threats into a source of lasting national hope.

As a direct result, the country has increased its forest cover from 17.2% in 2019 to 23.6% by 2023.

Aligned with Ethiopia’s broader development agenda, the Green Legacy Initiative also reinforces the country’s triple-zero aspirations: Zero Hunger, Zero Poverty, and Zero Carbon Emissions—making it a model for sustainable development in Africa and beyond.