Addis Ababa (AMECO)- Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is a national campaign aimed at reversing deforestation, combating climate change, and building a sustainable green economy. This initiative transcends mere tree planting; it embodies a comprehensive movement towards environmental restoration.
Initially, the initiative aimed to plant 20 billion seedlings within four years but exceeded expectations by planting 25 billion seedlings by the end of that period. Annual tree planting occurs primarily during the rainy season, with targets increasing from 4 billion in 2019 to over 8 billion in 2026.
The initiative is particularly notable for its mass planting campaigns. In 2025, over 700 million seedlings were planted in a single day. The following year, a record-breaking 805.3 million seedlings were planted in just one day, thanks to the participation of millions of citizens. On August 3, 2026, Ethiopia held another nationwide one-day tree planting campaign. At the end of this event, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that a historic total of 805.3 million seedlings had been planted, with more than 26 million people participating.
Ethiopian citizens from all walks of life engaged in the campaign under the theme “Let’s Plant Hope.” Government leaders, including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his cabinet ministers, regional administrators, public servants, farmers, elders, women, youth, children, volunteers, and members of the international community in Addis Ababa all participated in this mass effort. Prime Minister Abiy personally planted seedlings at the Artificial Intelligence University, reinforcing Ethiopia’s commitment to building a greener future through collective climate action.
This rainy season, Ethiopia aims to plant 8 billion tree seedlings. Prime Minister Abiy reported that over 6.5 billion seedlings have already been planted, with the remaining 1.5 billion expected to be achieved in the coming months. He highlighted that over the past seven years, the Green Legacy Initiative has reached a historic milestone with more than 48 billion seedlings planted nationwide. This flagship environmental movement focuses on restoring degraded landscapes, expanding forest coverage, ensuring food security, and strengthening the country’s response to climate change.
Recent independent scientific research published in leading international journals such as Nature Scientific Reports has documented the impact of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative in restoring degraded ecosystems, mitigating climate change, enhancing agricultural productivity, and improving rural livelihoods.
These studies indicate an estimated seedling survival rate of about 80 per cent due to scientific practices and strong community stewardship. In some areas, forest cover has increased by between 27 and 38 per cent within six years. Researchers have identified Ethiopia’s exceptional level of voluntary public participation—termed “climate patriotism”—as a key driver behind the initiative’s success. Collectively, these studies recognise the Ethiopian Green Legacy Initiative as a scientifically validated model for large-scale ecosystem restoration and sustainable development.
