Addis Ababa, August 3, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia has set a new milestone under its Green Legacy Initiative, planting 805.3 million seedlings in a 12-hour nationwide campaign and surpassing both its target of 800 million seedlings and the previous one-day national record.
The latest achievement exceeded the record set during last year’s one-day Green Legacy campaign, when more than 714 million seedlings were planted within 12 hours.
Millions of Ethiopians from all walks of life participated in the nationwide campaign held under the theme “Let’s Plant Hope,” contributing to one of Africa’s largest environmental restoration efforts.
The record-breaking campaign reflects the growing public ownership of the Green Legacy Initiative, which has evolved into a nationwide movement aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, expanding forest cover, strengthening climate resilience, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting sustainable development.
The achievement also reinforces Ethiopia’s environmental leadership as the country advances preparations to host the 32nd United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP32).
Launched in 2019, the Green Legacy Initiative has so far resulted in the planting of around 53 billion seedlings nationwide. Ethiopia plans to plant more than 8 billion seedlings during this year’s rainy season, raising the cumulative total to 56 billion, before reaching its longer-term target of 65 billion seedlings next year as the country prepares to host COP32.
The latest record further cements the Green Legacy Initiative as one of the world’s largest community-led reforestation and climate action programs.