Roundup of 8 Positive environmental stories from 2021

From limiting oil and gas exploration, via lab grown meat to End Deforestation project - these are the headlines of 2021.

Forests the size of France regrown since 2000

An area of forest the size of France has regrown naturally across the world in the last 20 years, a study suggests. The restored forests have the potential to soak up the equivalent of 5.9 gigatonnes of CO2.

Africa's Great Green Wall

Started in 2007, the 8000 kilometre-long Great Green Wall is an African-led initiative, spanning 11 countries, to combat land degradation, desertification and drought. 

Pakistan's virus-idled workers hired to plant trees

Since Pakistan locked down to try to stem the spread of COVID-19, unemployed day laborers have been given new jobs as "jungle workers", planting saplings as part of the country's 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme.

Ethiopia 'breaks' tree-planting record to tackle climate change

Ethiopia has planted more than 350 million trees in a day, officials say, in what they believe is a world record. The project aims to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change in the drought-prone country.

Students in the Philippines must plant 10 trees to graduate

The new law called the "Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act," it is seen as a valuable opportunity for young people to take action against climate change and hopes to fix deforestation in Philippines.

China and India help make planet leafier

China and India, two of the world's biggest polluters, are making it leafier - for now, a report says. The greening effect stems mainly from ambitious tree-planting in China and intensive farming in both countries.

Reforestation is transforming northwestern Pakistan

Once arid hillsides have now become lush green woodland in northwestern Pakistan, where hundreds of millions of trees from 42 different species have been planted as part of the “Billion Tree Tsunami” program.

In Madagascar, fishermen plant mangroves for the future

In just two decades, Madagascar lost about a fifth of its mangrove forest area, exposing its coastline to the ocean's ravages.

US teen replants hundreds of mangroves that were destroyed by a hurricane

Florida 18-year-old Theo Quenee grew and planted mangroves after the devastation of Hurricane Irma.

China announces plans for 6.6 million-hectare reforestation project

The government of China has announced its plans to plant forests in 2018 that will occupy at least 6.6 million hectares, equivalent to the size of Ireland.

India Plants Record-breaking 66 Million Trees in 12 Hours

Over 1.5 million volunteers gathered together to plant the saplings by the Narmada river in India. The record-breaking event was organized in accordance with the country’s climate change goals.

Climate stabilization: Planting trees cannot replace cutting carbon dioxide emissions

Growing plants is no viable option to counteract unmitigated emissions from fossil fuel burning. However, growing biomass soon could support climate policies of rapid and strong emission cuts.

Pakistani Province Grows 750 Million Trees

A massive tree planting effort has provided jobs to 500,000 impoverished people, and will plant 1 billion saplings by the end of 2018.

Norway commits to zero deforestation

The Norwegian parliament pledged today that the government's public procurement policy will go deforestation-free.