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🗞️ Driving the news: The European Union has significantly lagged behind its ambitious goal to plant at least 3 billion trees by 2030 as part of the European Green Deal, with a top official revealing that only 14.9 million trees have been planted so far

🔭 The context: Launched to enhance carbon sinks, combat biodiversity loss, and mitigate climate change effects, the initiative has faced challenges in tracking and meeting its extensive planting target
• Belgium, the Czech Republic, and France lead with the highest numbers of trees planted

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Trees play a crucial role in absorbing carbon dioxide, supporting biodiversity, and fighting climate change
• This initiative's slow progress underscores the challenges in scaling conservation efforts to meet global environmental goals

⏭️ What's next: The European Commission acknowledges the need for more tree planting and suggests that both EU and national financial incentives could boost efforts across the bloc, including urban areas, to achieve the 2030 target

💬 One quote: "We are very far from reaching 3 billion trees by 2030," said Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius, highlighting the urgency of scaling up planting efforts

📈 One stat: To date, only 14.9 million trees have been planted, a figure well below 1 percent of the EU's 2030 goal

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