In its signature effort to fight climate change, Natural Resources Canada says it is on track to plant two billion trees (the 2BT program) across the country by 2030..On Wednesday, Energy and Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson reported more than 110 million trees have been planted since the program was launched in 2021, about 20 million ahead of schedule..At an event in Surrey, Wilkinson — while planting a tree of his own — announced 16 new contribution agreements with municipalities and community groups, amounting to $100 million, to support an additional 56 million saplings..Citing the devastating impact of wildfires across the country, four of the new agreements, backed by $63.9 million in federal funding, will support the planting of 35 million trees to specifically help restore wildfire-impacted forests and rehabilitate reserve lands that have been damaged by previous wildfires..“Planting two billion trees over 10 years is a key part of Canada's plan to fight climate change, preserve our biodiversity and restore valuable habitats,” Wilkinson said in a statement. .“These trees will clean the air we breathe, make our urban spaces more enjoyable, provide new habitats for wildlife and help us adapt to our changing climate while mitigating its impacts by sequestering carbon emissions.”.Even though he has downplayed the importance of carbon capture in the oil and gas sector, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault was absolutely gushing in his support for the 2BT program..“We know that one of the best tools we have to fight climate change is nature. Our government is on track to plant two billion trees, which will go a long way to restore wildlife habitats, fight climate change and improve the livability of our cities,” he said..Also launched was the so-called ‘2BT Indigenous Funding Stream.’.Of the 179 planting and capacity-building projects funded under the program to date, one in five projects are indigenous-led. .The government said it would continue to support projects that “fully recognize the diversity of Indigenous cultures and priorities.”.Last week NRCan, in conjunction with Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, announced $47.8-million in matching federal/municipal funding from the 2BT program to support the planting of 1.5 million trees in Edmonton. The municipal spending is part of the Edmonton's $66-million Greener As We Grow tree-planting project.
