President urges more impactful, sustainable tree-planting movement

State President Luong Cuong has called on ministries, sectors and localities to further elevate the tree-planting movement, intensify public awareness of the annual Tree-Planting Festival, and closely link the initiative with livelihood enhancement, ecological landscape development, environmental protection and climate change response.

Speaking at the launch of the Tree-Planting Festival in Cam Duong ward, Lao Cai province, on February 23 (the seventh day of the Lunar New Year), the President praised Lao Cai’s achievements and the country’s overall progress in 2025. He commended innovative and practical approaches under the festival, noting their contribution to the effective implementation of the national programme to plant one billion trees.

President Cuong described tree planting as a strategic investment that delivers not only economic returns but also sustainable livelihoods, particularly for people in mountainous areas. He stressed the need to accelerate the transition towards a green and circular economy, strengthen participation in global green value chains, and help fulfil Viet Nam’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Alongside forest protection and development, he urged the expansion of green spaces in both urban and rural areas and greater use of nature-based solutions to absorb carbon and improve living conditions.

He also called on Lao Cai to further reinforce the planting and protection of watershed forests, contributing to socio-economic development, ecological security and national sovereignty, while unlocking the potential of medicinal plants and other high-value forestry and agricultural products. Biodiversity conservation, he added, should go hand in hand with preserving local cultural identities in forest protection, development and new rural construction.

On the occasion, the President appealed to ministries, central agencies, mass organisations, armed forces units, local authorities, the business community and all citizens to actively participate in tree planting and forest development, encouraging everyone to become a “green ambassador” in building a greener, cleaner and more sustainably developed Viet Nam.

More than 66 years ago, while planting trees with Ha Noi residents at Bay Mau Lake Park—now Thong Nhat Park, President Ho Chi Minh launched the Tree-Planting Festival. Since then, it has grown into a cherished cultural tradition and a nationwide movement delivering long-term benefits to the country.

In recent years, nationwide efforts in tree planting, forestation, protection and development have made important contributions to socio-economic growth, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and national defence and security. In 2025 alone, more than 285,000 ha of concentrated forests were planted and 108 million scattered trees added. Exports of wood and forestry products surpassed 18 billion USD, with a trade surplus of 14.8 billion USD, while revenues from forest environmental services reached nearly 4 trillion VND (around 154 million USD). Forest coverage remained stable at 42.03%, providing a solid foundation for 2026.

Lao Cai has emerged as one of the country’s leading localities in forest management, protection and development, watershed forest planting and water resource conservation. Ranking second nationwide in tree-planting results, the province has planted more than 100 million trees under the “One Billion Trees for the 2021–2025 period” project. Agriculture and forestry have become key economic pillars, contributing significantly to socio-economic development and national defence and security in Viet Nam’s border areas.