Trees capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality, make our urban spaces shadier, cooler and more enjoyable, and can provide new habitat for wildlife. To bring these benefits to Canadians, and to support good jobs for workers, the federal government is working with partners to plant two billion trees (2BT) over the next 10 years. As of May 2024, the Government of Canada has funded more than half a billion trees, a major milestone in its overall goal.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Scott Pearce, the President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), announced a new FCM initiative to accelerate and expand the reach of tree planting in communities across Canada. The Growing Canada's Community Canopies (GCCC) will support the planting of at least 1.2 million new trees in approximately 300 communities by 2031, generating more than 2,000 jobs every year in municipalities across Canada. They were joined by City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan. At the announcement, the Minister and Mayor also highlighted that of the over 550 million trees planted through the 2BT program so far, more than 3,000 have been planted in North Vancouver through existing partnerships - five times the number originally anticipated for the municipality.
Through the GCCC, the FCM's Green Municipal Fund will run the program, directly supporting communities across the country to help them grow, manage and protect their tree canopies, while ensuring the right type of trees are planted in the right places so that they can thrive long-term. This initiative will support a variety of tree planting activities, including forest restoration and reforestation, which can rehabilitate areas that have experienced die-offs caused by pests or wildfires. The GCCC is funded directly through the 2BT program, with matching funding from the FCM's Green Municipal Fund.
With over 80 percent of Canadians now living in urban areas, partnerships such as the GCCC underscore the importance of providing communities with nature-based climate solutions - or tools to mitigate and adapt to climate change and provide benefits for biodiversity, such as planting native trees. By working with local governments to assess and improve their communities' canopies, this project will provide physical and mental health benefits to many Canadians. Moreover, this project seeks to increase urban forest resilience and ecosystem services through species diversity resulting in cleaner air and better stormwater management, so that municipalities are better adapted to climate change.
Planting two billion trees requires careful planning and cultivation of seedlings in nurseries, collaboration with different levels of government, non-government organizations and Indigenous groups, and a thoughtful approach to each stage of the supply chain from seed to seedling to planting. The Government of Canada will continue to work with partners to deliver the 2BT program for the benefit of all Canadians.
