Ethiopia Aims for Record 700 Million Trees Planted in One Day in Ambitious Green Legacy Push

In a bold bid to combat deforestation and climate change, Ethiopia launched a nationwide tree-planting campaign Thursday, mobilizing millions of citizens in an effort to plant 700 million trees in a single day.

The initiative is part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Green Legacy program, launched in 2019, which aims to plant 50 billion trees by 2026 to restore degraded land and bolster resilience in the drought-prone Horn of Africa nation.

Before sunrise, Ethiopians from all walks of life – students, civil servants, elders, and children – gathered in urban parks, rural hillsides, and designated planting zones across the country. Government officials reported that 14.9 million people had planted 355 million seedlings by 6 a.m. local time, though the figures have not been independently verified.

Prime Minister Abiy, joined the effort in Jimma, Oromia region, and urged nationwide participation via social media: “We have launched the annual Green Legacy campaign. Our goal this year is 700 million seedlings. Let’s achieve it together.”

Ministers and regional leaders also took part, underscoring the government’s push to blend environmental action with civic engagement and national unity – especially critical amid ongoing recovery from the Tigray conflict and unrest in the Amhara region.

Global Eyes on Ethiopia’s Green Experiment

Since its launch, the Green Legacy initiative claims to have planted 40 billion trees, with a target of 7.5 billion for 2025. This year’s one-day campaign saw public offices closed to allow civil servants to join the effort.

While the scale of participation is unprecedented, experts urge caution. Long-term survival rates, species selection, and ecological impact remain key concerns for sustainable reforestation.

Still, Ethiopia’s mass mobilization offers a powerful model for citizen-led climate action. If successful, the Green Legacy could inspire similar initiatives worldwide – proving that large-scale environmental restoration is possible when governments and communities unite.

As the sun set on a day of digging, seeding, and hope, Ethiopia’s green crusade continued – planting not just trees, but the roots of a more resilient future.