ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia has launched the 2026 phase of its nationwide Green Legacy Initiative, setting a target of planting 8 billion tree seedlings during this year's rainy season as the government seeks to expand reforestation efforts and strengthen climate resilience.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially inaugurated the campaign in mid-June, calling on citizens, public institutions, businesses and community organizations to participate in what has become an annual national tree-planting drive. According to the Prime Minister's Office and the Government Communication Service, the 2026 campaign forms part of Ethiopia's longer-term objective of planting 65 billion seedlings under the Green Legacy Initiative.
Announcing the launch, Abiy said the country aims to plant 8 billion seedlings this year while building on previous annual campaigns. He urged Ethiopians to join the effort, describing environmental restoration as a shared national responsibility.
The Green Legacy Initiative, introduced in 2019, is intended to combat deforestation, restore degraded landscapes, improve watershed management and contribute to climate change mitigation. Government officials say the program also promotes agroforestry, biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development through broad public participation.
Authorities say millions of Ethiopians are expected to take part in planting activities during the rainy season, with regional governments, schools, civil servants and private organizations mobilized to support the campaign. Officials have also highlighted the use of digital monitoring systems intended to track planting activities and seedling survival rates.
The initiative has attracted international attention for the scale of its annual planting targets. Government figures state that tens of billions of seedlings have been planted since the program began, although some researchers and environmental experts have previously said independently verified data on long-term seedling survival and ecological outcomes remain limited. They have argued that species selection, post-planting maintenance and transparent monitoring are critical to ensuring large-scale tree-planting campaigns deliver lasting environmental benefits.
The 2026 campaign continues a series of nationwide planting drives that have become a central element of Ethiopia's environmental policy. Officials say tree-planting activities will continue throughout the rainy season, with progress toward the 8 billion-seedling target to be monitored by federal and regional authorities.
