BEIJING: China planted 4.45 million hectares of trees and improved 3.22 million hectares of grassland, official data showed Sunday.
The country also harnessed 2.45 million hectares of desertified land last year, and the country’s forest coverage has exceeded 25 percent, as disclosed at a national video conference on forestry and grassland work.
Part of the effort was a 32 billion yuan (about 4.46 billion U.S. dollars) injection into the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, known as the world’s largest afforestation program to tackle desertification in northwest, north and northeast China. The funding supported 287 projects and 58 nursery bases. Urban green spaces expanded, with 43.32 percent of built-up areas in cities now covered by vegetation, with per capita park space reaching 15.65 square meters.
Over 200 cities have earned “National Forest City” titles so far, while village greenery coverage reached 32.01 percent. China’s annual carbon sink reached over 1.2 billion tonnes in 2023, and the area of planted forests ranks first in the world, making China the country with the largest increase in green coverage globally, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
The total output value of China’s forestry and grassland industry has exceeded 9 trillion yuan, meaning China is the world’s largest trader, producer and consumer of major forest products, the administration said.
Earlier, German carmaker Audi launched an initiative on Tuesday in Beijing to preserve ancient trees in cities.
The effort is part of the Audi China Biodiversity City Initiative started in 2023. Last year, it focused on promoting bird diversity in the capital city’s parks.
Audi China President Johannes Roscheck said the initiative shows the company’s enduring dedication to conserving biodiversity, fulfilling its commitment to China, and contributing its efforts to building a “Beautiful China”. –Agencies
