President John Mahama has announced the government's plans to launch the One Tree per Child initiative, aimed at engaging every Ghanaian school-age child in planting and nurturing at least one tree.

Speaking at the World Environment Day celebrations held in Kwabenya, the President described the initiative as a vital step in combating the country’s growing environmental challenges, particularly plastic pollution and land degradation.

“Plastics, when not managed properly, become a long-term hazard, and that is why today, I’m proud to launch the One Tree per Child initiative,” President Mahama stated.

The programme will distribute seedlings to schoolchildren nationwide, with the type of tree selected to suit the local ecological conditions of each school’s location.

Teachers, environmental officers, Forestry Commission staff, and traditional leaders will guide pupils through the planting process and educate them on how to nurture their trees.

According to the President, the initiative is designed to instil a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship in the next generation while creating tangible climate benefits.

“By 2030, this programme will result in tens of millions of trees planted. These are trees that will stabilise our soils, trees that will cool our cities and trees that will absorb carbon dioxide and restore our degraded ecosystems,” he explained.

The 'One Tree per Child' initiative builds on the Tree for Life Afforestation Programme, which President Mahama launched in March this year.

That effort aims to restore at least seven million hectares of degraded land across the country through mass tree planting.

The President stated that beyond the environmental benefits, the One Tree per Child initiative will foster a sense of sustainability, civic duty, and national pride among the country’s youth.

“More importantly, each tree will serve as a lesson and responsibility, sustainability and civic pride,” he concluded.

The programme is expected to significantly bolster Ghana’s fight against deforestation and climate change, while embedding a culture of environmental care in the nation’s future leaders.