Reunion Wire

The massive tree seedlings are crucial for boosting economy of the country and minimize the challenges of global climate change, Minister of Trade and Regional Integration said.

Various segments of across Ethiopia have been participating at the ambitious tree planting campaign aimed at planting 500 million seedlings in a single day.

Staff members of Ministry of Trade and Integration as well as Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute have planted seedlings this morning at Kilinto Industrial Park at the outskirt of Addis Ababa.

During the occasion, head of the Minister’s Office at Trade and Regional Integration, Abdissa Yadeta said the green legacy initiative is interconnected with trade as it enhances soil fertility and increase production and productivity.

Increase in productivity, boosts the quality and quantity of products which are crucial to improve the nation’s revenue obtained from export trade and strengthen the economy.

“The idea of sustainable development has intrinsic relationship with the environment. Protecting soil and plant saplings are very important not only for today, but for the future the generations to come, for the country that we are building, for the economy that is being built, to creating a comfortable living environment for citizens,” Abdissa elaborated.

He added that the money generated from local development helps to expand business and the wealth obtained from the business goes back to help protect and enhance the environment. They are so interconnected.

Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute Director-General Worku Gachena on his part said previously the participation of the public was not at this level and now people from all walks of life are participating in the massive tree planting campaign and this will be strengthened.

“The Green Legacy program is very important for our country and the world. The world is suffering from decertification. Ethiopia is working to find solutions in addressing challenges of climate change. If we continue to work on implementing the green legacy in this way, it will enable us to strengthen our visibility in the international fora and contribute our share to tackling the impacts of climate change,” he said.

According to the Director General, the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute is a technology institution working to modernize and support the agriculture, health and finance sectors of the country.

Hana Teshome, worker at the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, who has also been participating in tree planting campaigns carried out over the last four years, said the green legacy initiative has huge benefits to the people and environment.

“We are extremely witnessing erratic climate changes. Leaving a green legacy in this way will help us to make a positive contribution to the future of our country,” she said.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative needs to turn into global campaign to save the planet earth from climate change and global warming, Iran’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Samad Ali Lakizadeh said.

Ethiopia is undertaking a historic and record breaking of planting 500 million seedlings in a single day across the country with the participation of all segments of the society and members of the diplomatic community based in Addis Ababa.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Lakizadeh said that the international community and international organizations need to support the Green Legacy Initiative as part of mitigating the global climate change efforts.

He added such initiative is important to foster development, help the society become safe and healthy from climate change and so on.

“In fact it is a very important initiative, today we started to plant 500 million seedlings in one day all around Ethiopia and I personally as Ambassador of Iran I am very proud to be part of this big and important initiative.”

Appreciating the initiative, he said it is initiated by Ethiopians; but nowadays, worldwide people are aware of this initiative and even the neighboring countries are also taking lessons from an experience from this initiative.

Regarding the support from the global community, the ambassador said “First of all, I think the international media should cover this initiative to give this lesson to others not only in the African continent but also all around the world. International organizations, United Nations and others also should appreciate and also should help, support, this initiative.”

“Ethiopian initiative, by the support of the international community, and international organizations, regional organizations, we have to turn it to a global effort, to a global initiative.”

In such a way, he added, we can help our planet to be safer from global climate change and global warming.

Similarly, French Ambassador to Ethiopia, Rémi Maréchaux said “Ethiopia is already an example regarding its energy mix with this initiative to sensitize everybody so that all citizens understand that they can be active at the level to fight climate change by planting trees; so it is an initiative we can only support.”

Climate change is a global matter and that is why all countries managed to sign the Paris agreement and now it is a responsibility to implement it, he recalled.

It is important for everybody to understand that climate change is not something you cannot act against and that each country has the responsibility to work in fighting climate change, he pointed out.

It is to be recalled that Ethiopia planted a record number of more than 350 million trees in a single day in 12 hours on July 29, 2019.

The Green Legacy Initiative is a flagship program initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in June 2019 with a target of planting 20 billion seedlings within a period of four years, where the target was surpassed to 25 billion.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Zhao Zhiyuan said that Ethiopia will improve the livelihood of its people by combating the effects of climate change, and restore degraded landscapes and forests by planting trees across the country.

The ambassador made the remark today while planting seedlings with staffs of the embassy and other guests on the premises of the embassy in Addis Ababa as part of the campaign being held to plant 500 million seedlings in a single day.

During the occasion, the ambassador stated that “Ethiopia will combat the effects of climate change, restore degraded landscapes, and forest, promote green culture and eco-tourism and improve the livelihood of its people by planting trees throughout the country.”

Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative naturally corresponds to China’s ecological civilization thought initiated by President Xi Jinping, he said.

Director-General of the Middle East, Asia and Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gebeyehu Ganga, said for his part that Ethiopia has been implementing various climate resilient green economy strategies among which the Green Intiative is one of them.

The Green Legacy Initiative is a demonstration of Ethiopia’s long term commitment to a multifaceted response to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, he stated.

“This has an immense contribution to Ethiopia’s effort to meet its international commitment such as the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063.”

China actively participates in worldwide efforts to address climate change and plays a constructive role in international cooperation in this regard, Gebeyehu indicated.

The Director-General added that China and Ethiopia have been working in collaboration to promote ecological civilization agenda, green economic transformation and ecological security.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The voluntary participation of the people in the tree seedlings planting today is a symbolic event that helps to strengthen peacebuilding and national unity, Government Communication Service (GCS) Minister Legesse Tulu said.

The minister, who participated in planting seedings at the ICT Park in Addis Ababa, told ENA that the mobilization of the inhabitants in the campaign is a symbolic event that could help further strengthen peace building and national unity in Ethiopia.

He observed that the willingness of the inhabitants to come out in droves to plant seedlings was exciting.

“In all parts of the city, the residents, including children, elders and the youth, are out en mass to plant saplings…. In a similar way as we mobilized the people en mass for the Green Legacy Initiative, we will protect our peace and unity. This is the people’s interest.”

For Ethiopia, the Green Legacy is more than mere tree seedlings planting, the minister said, adding that the campaign plays big role in tackling recurrent droughts and carbon emission.

“More than anything else, today is our day to make history by planting 500 million tree seedlings to break our own record of last year,” Legesse stated, pointing out that he has “planted 30 tree seedlings thus far, and will plant up to 100 saplings the whole day.”

The planting activity in the ICT Park has drawn many from all walks of life.

Recall that Ethiopia plans to plant 25 billion saplings in the second phase of the Green Legacy Initiative.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that Ethiopia has made history by planting over 566 million tree seedlings from dawn to dusk, breaking its own record.

In an announcement he made in the evening, the premier congratulated Ethiopians who participated in planting the seedlings.

The plan to plant 500 million seedlings from sun rise to sun set was exceeded by over 66 million, it was learned.

Millions of Ethiopians responded to the call of Prime Minister Abiy to make history again by planting half a billion seedlings across the nation at 6 am this morning.

Members of international organizations and diplomats based in Addis Ababa have also left their legacy, which is part of Green Legacy Initiative.

The flagship Green Legacy Initiative has got momentum among Ethiopians from all walks of life who showed commitment.

Recall that the nation planted a record 350 million trees in 2019.

In the second round of the Green Legacy Initiative launched this season, the nation is working to plant over 25 billion seedlings from 2023 to 2026.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency