Root of the Problem: Where is the Progress on Canada’s 2 Billion Tree Commitment?

If the COVID-19 pandemic has done one good thing for nature, it’s that it has created thousands of new “green thumbs”, as many Canadians in lockdown have taken to planting and caring for leafy friends. From succulents to shrubberies, the gardening industry in Canada noted increases in people picking up the hobby to help curb lockdown boredom. 

Is that more than the Canadian government has done for nature lately?

The Liberal party’s re-election campaign in 2019 promised to plant 2 billion trees over the next ten years. This goal, along with a goal to conserve 25% of Canada’s land and oceans by 2025 (extending to 30% by 2030), is part of Canada’s plan to integrate nature-based solutions into its climate change actions.

Nature-based solutions are projects that utilize or enhance nature to address climate change. The United Nations claims that these types of projects can provide over one-third of the climate mitigation needs to keep the world from warming more than two degrees Celsius in the next decade. In other words, nature is obviously a very important ally.

So where are we with that 2 billion tree commitment?

As of late 2020, not a single tree was planted as part of the federal plan. That means there are nine years left to get to 2 billion. To put that big number into perspective, reaching 2 billion trees in nine years would require roughly 600,000 new trees per day if they started on January 1st, 2021. Not an easy feat. 

As those who have begun gardening at home this year have come to realize, plants can be temperamental and trees take a long time to grow. It will take a considerable amount of time to plant 2 billion trees, let alone grow enough to make an impact on climate change. 

There is also no guarantee that they will grow to be effective. 

China started a similar project in 1978 that aimed to plant 35 million hectares of trees over 72 years. Politics and poor planning resulted in millions of trees dying, project delays, and higher than expected costs. These are not things a country in the middle of a pandemic and climate crisis can afford. 

Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan also stated that the 2 billion tree plan would create 4,300 new jobs. With so many Canadians out of work due to COVID, there is no better time than now to start hiring people to help move the needle on the project. 

While it is understandably difficult given the current circumstances, such as lockdowns and social distancing, the federal government needs to shed some light on the 2 billion tree plan and get people working. 

Transparency on how and when the project will progress would give real substance to the government’s commitment. Not to mention it would ease the minds of Canadians who could think of more dire needs for the $3.16 billion that was earmarked for planting trees. Further delays would only make project success that much more difficult to attain.

With that transparency and a solid plan should come a hiring spree. If the federal government is planning on creating 4,300 jobs and spending $3.16B, Canadians need to be a part of the action right away. 

These types of projects may sound straightforward on paper, but it is clear that it will not be a walk in the park. Canada needs to get planting. Maybe if Canadians banded together with their newly acquired indoor plant knowledge, we could get help move things along.

About the Author: Ryan Dormer is an MPP candidate at the University of Calgary, focusing his studies on energy and environmental policy. He has gained private and public sector policy experience from a co-op year with a major energy company as an environmental policy advisor, and is currently working as a policy analyst for Environment Climate Change Canada.