On China's 48th National Tree Planting Day, a report from the National Greening Committee revealed that forest and grassland coverage exceeds 56 percent nationwide. At the same time, lawmakers adopted the Ecological and Environmental Code during the National People's Congress closing session. In 2025, the country completed 3.56 million hectares of afforestation and restored 4.93 million hectares of degraded grasslands.
China marked its 48th National Tree Planting Day on March 12, 2026, with the National Greening Committee releasing a report highlighting the country's greening achievements. The report states that after completing 3.56 million hectares of afforestation over the past year, the combined forest and grassland coverage has surpassed 56 percent of the nation's land area. In 2025, China accomplished 127 million mu (about 8.47 million hectares) of land greening, including 53.45 million mu (about 3.56 million hectares) of afforestation and 73.9 million mu (about 4.93 million hectares) of degraded grassland restoration.
The forest coverage rate now stands at 25.09 percent, with a forest stock volume of 20.99 billion cubic meters. These figures underscore decades of large-scale afforestation and ecological restoration programs aimed at improving environmental conditions and expanding forest resources.
Concurrently, at the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing, lawmakers voted to adopt the Ecological and Environmental Code. The code is intended to consolidate the legal foundation for modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature, strengthening environmental protection and promoting green development.
The report also notes the economic significance of the forestry and grassland industries, which generated nearly 11 trillion yuan ($1.5 trillion) in total output value. Annual timber production reached 140 million cubic meters, while forest food production exceeded 240 million metric tons. Forest tourism continues to grow, with ecological sites receiving more than 3 billion visits annually.
These initiatives demonstrate China's ongoing commitment to environmental protection, blending legislative measures with on-the-ground actions to foster sustainable development.