Tamil Nadu has embarked on an ambitious ‘Mission Green Tamil Nadu’ to increase its forest and tree cover to 33 per cent from 23.98 per cent in the next ten years.

To manage the impact of the climate change the Government had already announced two other missions - Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission and the Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission.

For effective management of the above three missions, and to ensure that they achieve their underlying objectives, the Government has created a new Special Purpose Vehicle - Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company - which in tum with set up a specialised Project Management Unit for coordinating and monitoring of project activities in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation Limited, says a Government Order.

The State plans to augment the national efforts in creating the additional carbon sink of 2.5- 3 billion tonnes in its forest and green cover by the year 2030 as a part of its Nationally Determined Contribution commitments under the Paris Agreement by adopting a two-pronged strategy.

The first is forest land restoration by encouraging planting of indigenous/native species which locally adapt to rainfall and temperature extremes and promote biodiversity, critical in addressing the concerns of climate change.

The second is increasing tree cover outside conventional forests for climate change adaptation and mitigation and for improving income opportunities of farming communities, by actively promoting agroforestry.

Under the Green Tamil Nadu Mission, 265 crore seeds of native trees of economic and ecological significance will be planted over a period of 10 years on suitable public lands, including urban areas; farms, educational institutions, covering an area of about 13,500 km.

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