12 May 2009: In the lead-up to World Environment Day, which will be celebrated on 5 June, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has set the new target to plant seven billion trees by the end of 2009, under the Billion Tree Campaign.

Currently, some 3.1 billion trees have been planted in 166 countries.
The World Environment Day global tree planting drive is the first in a series of mass participation events planned as part of the UN-led “Seal the Deal!” campaign in the lead-up the UN climate change conference to be held December 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark. [UNEP press release]