Bangkok,
19 July 2008-Thailand's 'Plant for the Planet,
Plant for the Future' campaign was launched
today at the opening ceremony of the Sirindhorn
International Environment Park (SIEP).
Nearly 300,000 tree
species, including beech and mangrove as
well as lowland, wetland and highland forest
species are expected to be planted in the
new 288-hectare park. The park also features
a Regional Centre for Expertise on Education
for Sustainable Development and a wind power
generation system.
The 'Plant for the Planet,
Plant for the Future' campaign aims to preserve
forests for future generations and promote
public awareness of the importance of trees
among schools, communities, civil groups
and businesses. The campaign is being held
under the auspices of the United Nations
Environment Programme's Billion Tree Campaign,
which began in January 2007.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General
and UNEP Executive Director, said: "The
launch of 'Plant for the Planet, Plant for
the Future' is a great boost to our Billion
Tree Campaign, which is going from strength
to strength and catalyzing action across
the planet. I welcome this important step
towards our new target of 7 billion trees
before the 2009 climate convention meeting
in Copenhagen."
The UNEP Executive Director
said the campaign now has the support of
two Royal personalities. Alongside Thai
Princess HRH Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the
Billion Tree Campaign has His Serene Highness,
Prince Albert II of Monaco as a co-patron.
Mr Steiner urged senior figures from other
Royal Households across the world to become
involved given the enormous potential of
such indivividuals to catalyze public and
grassroots action.
Dr. Sumet Tantivejkul,
Chairman of the SIEP Foundation, said: "The
Tree Planting Campaign in Thailand aims
to promote the restoration of the natural
ecology of the country through forestation,
thus moving towards creating an environmentally
friendly society where people harmoniously
co-exist with nature, and the SIEP is honoured
to be involved in this."
Dr. Monthip Sriratana
Tabucanon, Director General of the Department
of Environment Quality Promotion, said:
"Forests act as natural carbon sinks
and are homes to millions of animals, birds
and other species; they provide food and
fodder and help enhance people's livelihoods."
Tomoko Yano, Secretary
General of the Foundation for Global Peace
and Environment(FGPE), said: "We, Foundation
for Global Peace and Environment, have been
collaborating with UNEP to carry out the
tree planting campaign in Kenya since 2003.
We are very pleased that HRH Princess Sirindhorn
is launching the campaign in Thailand at
the Sirindhorn International Environmental
Park, with the participation of a thousand
of local school children. We started this
campaign with the press conference in Bangkok
last November as a celebration of the 120th
Anniversary of Thailand-Japan Diplomatic
Relations, with support of Japanese companies.
We sincerely hope that the campaign will
expand throughout the Kingdom of Thailand
and encourage Thai people to be involved
in tree planting activities in each community,
to nurture precious forests for future generations."
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Plant for the Planet,
Plant for the Future campaign in Thailand
is jointly organized by the Sirindhorn International
Environmental Park Foundation under the
patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn,
the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace
and Environment (FGPE), the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment-Department
of Environmental Quality Promotion and UNEP.
The campaign is being
held with the support of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi
Group of Companies in Thailand, Honda Thailand
Foundation, Kao Corporation, Saha-Union
Group in Thailand, Bayer Ltd., Daisho Co.
Ltd., JIAS Group, Yoshishige-gumi Co. Ltd,
C&C Group and Unicharm Corporation in
Japan.
The UNEP Billion Tree
Campaign began in January 2007. In May this
year, a new target of 7 billion trees was
set, to plant one tree for every person
before the 2009 climate convention meeting.
Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson
