What changed
Ethiopia is presenting its Green Legacy Initiative as both a nationwide restoration programme and a tool of regional climate diplomacy. Launched in 2019, it has reportedly helped plant more than 56 billion seedlings, while forest coverage rose from 17.2% that year to 23.6% in 2023.
The initiative now reaches beyond Ethiopia’s borders through shared seedlings and restoration experience. It also sits alongside the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, expanding wind, solar and geothermal resources, and the country’s Climate-Resilient Green Economy strategy. Ethiopia is planning to host COP32 in Addis Ababa in 2027, after COP31 in Türkiye.
Why it matters
Ethiopia is turning tree planting into a diplomatic language. The practical work is local: restoring degraded land, protecting watersheds, reducing soil erosion and expanding forests. The political message is broader: African countries can build climate cooperation from their own knowledge and resources, while still pressing wealthy countries for climate finance and climate justice.
That gives Addis Ababa a stronger platform ahead of COP32. Ethiopia can arrive with a story that connects restoration, clean energy and regional cooperation rather than treating them as separate policy files.
The scale of the planting and forest-cover figures still depends on the methods used to measure them, and no financing commitments or emissions reductions are specified. The immediate test will be whether Ethiopia’s green diplomacy produces concrete partnerships, technology transfers or investment before the summit.
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