China achieved a remarkable environmental milestone in 2025 by completing afforestation and land restoration projects covering approximately 8.47 million hectares (127 million mu), according to an official announcement from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. The announcement was made by administration head Liu Guohong during a press briefing held on January 15, 2026, in Beijing.
This substantial greening initiative represents one of the world’s most ambitious ecological restoration efforts, demonstrating China’s continued commitment to environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation. The scale of this achievement underscores the nation’s systematic approach to combating desertification, improving air quality, and enhancing biodiversity across various regions.
The comprehensive land greening program involved multiple ecological strategies including large-scale tree planting, grassland rehabilitation, wetland conservation, and soil erosion control measures. These efforts form part of China’s broader environmental governance framework aimed at creating ecological security barriers and promoting sustainable development.
Scientific planning and technological innovation played crucial roles in the project’s success, with advanced monitoring systems ensuring the survival rates of planted vegetation and the long-term viability of restored ecosystems. The administration implemented sophisticated geographical information systems and satellite monitoring to track progress and evaluate ecological benefits throughout the implementation process.
This achievement contributes significantly to China’s dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. The newly greened areas are projected to substantially enhance carbon sequestration capacity while providing additional ecological benefits including water conservation, soil preservation, and habitat creation for wildlife.
The successful completion of this massive greening project reflects China’s growing leadership in global environmental governance and ecological civilization construction. It sets a precedent for other nations pursuing large-scale ecological restoration and demonstrates the practical implementation of sustainable development principles on an unprecedented scale.