Canada has pledged to plant 2 billion trees. Here’s how close we are

A two-year-old Grand Fir sapling stands about 20 centimetres tall among Douglas-Fir and Western Redcedar trees at Francis/King Regional Park in Saanich, B.C., Thursday, May 26, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

The Government of Canada says it is just over a 10th of the way to its goal of planting two billion trees across the country.

Launched in 2021, Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program has reached the milestone of 228 million trees planted, with agreements already in place to plant a total of nearly one billion within the coming years.

As of June, 11 provinces and territories, 58 Indigenous partners, 30 municipalities and 88 non-governmental organizations has signed or are negotiating tree-planting agreements, according to a press release.

The program aims to protect crucial wildlife habitat, restore areas impacted by wildfires and sequester carbon.

According to the release, the program marks one of a series of initiatives to restore and conserve nature and biodiversity.

Some of these initiatives include creating at least 10 new national parks and marine conservation areas and 15 new urban parks, as well as designating 30 per cent Canada’s land and water as conservation areas by 2030.

The federal government has also committed to reach an emissions reduction target of 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Nature is a fundamental part of the Canadian identity, and the damage caused by recent wildfires is a powerful reminder of how deeply connected we are to the land,” said Nathalie Provost, federal member of parliament and secretary of state for nature, in the release.

“Through tree planting and forest restoration, we’re not only repairing what’s been lost, we’re also investing in the future. These efforts, led in partnership with communities and organizations across the country, are helping to renew our landscapes and ensure they remain healthy now and for generations to come.”