President, minister or government representative

Your support for schools to tackle climate crisis

Let me briefly introduce myself. I am the founder and director of Environment Online – ENO. It is a voluntary network of schools and communities for sustainable development, currently in over 100 countries. Most of schools come from less developed countries. We also have schools in your country.

Climate change is the most serious problem in the globe. We need to struggle against is nationally and globally. Each act counts. Our global ENO network of schools plant trees around the world in over 100 countries. We made a commitment of planting 100 million trees by 2017 in Rio+20 Summit. We have not yet reached the goal but go on planting trees. Most of the schools come from less developed countries. When focusing on schools we raise the importance of education.

We all know that Paris Agreement was an important step between governments when it comes to climate change. ENO network announced an agreement in June 2019, Climate Agreement of Schools. This agreement the answer of students to Paris agreement. Our goal is to tie 3 million tons of CO2 by 2025. It means about 100 million trees to be planted. Schools are committed to plant trees at least 0.5 hectars every year. This agreement was signed on the World Environment Day, 5 June 2019 in Helsinki, Finland. The patron of the conference was the president of Finland, Mr Sauli Niinistö. The initiative of adopting trees came from the president of Slovenia, his excellency Mr Bohut Pahor.

We kindly ask if you or your government could spread this campaign and help schools with the practical arrangements in your country? Please find information about Climate Agreement of Schools below, and a draft paper (to be edited) for Your possible commitment. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Finland, 12 December 2019

Mika Vanhanen, founder
Environment Online – ENO mika.vanhanen@enoprorgamme.org www.enoprogramme.org

http://www.descrittiva.it/calip/1920/accordoClima.pdf

Environment Online – ENO will celebrate 25th anniversary in 2025. Schools will launch a global C02 campaign to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Pupils around the world gathered 29 May – 5 June in Finland to agree the jointly organised climate actions based on tree planting. To celebrate quarter century of the ENO Programme, pupils from over 10 000 schools in 150 countries will agree the goals of reducing carbon dioxide as follows:

1. With this movement, pupils raise up the fact that the mankind with its action has reduced forest area and their capacity to work as sink for carbon dioxide. Tree planting is needed to improve the carbon balance between carbon in the trees and atmosphere.
2. Pupils raise the fact that tree planting is a significant way to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Planting forests does not need complicated technology or big money. What we need is earth, Sun, water and seed and a man who ensures the start of growth of trees. When working together we can plant a huge number of trees.

There are two ways to join the agreement

A) Tree Planting Schools (TPS)

• School will plant trees each year at least 0,5 hectars (5 000m2) between the years 20192025. Trees will be planted in the areas where forest hasn’t been cut in 10 years. This way a new forest (carbon sink) will be ensured.
• School will agree with private or public land owners the suitable land areas for these climate actions. They will also agree the delivery of the suitable reforestation material for free with suppliers of seeds and seedlings. Names of partners will be published in the international media
• School will agree with the partners about adopting trees and can use this support also partly to improve their school activities. Tree planting schools will also partner with Tree Adopting Schools (see below).
• Schools will report the annual growth of trees to ENO Programme. ENO will publish annual summaries based of the data.

B) Tree Adopting Schools (TAS)

There are schools which are not able to plant, but want take part. Their job would be to motivate the children, teachers, parents and the local community.

• Students earn “trees” with their work. The payment for their work or help would be “a tree”. (1 € = 1 tree) For instance helping the elderly, go shopping for them, clean the cars, collect paper, clean the garage, work in the garden
• At school, students together earn these “trees” every year enough for 0,5 hectars (average 800 trees)
• Tree adopting schools will find a partner from tree planting schools – or vice versa with the help of ENO. Schools connect directly. The adopting school sends money to the planting school and informs ENO at the same time. The planting school plants the trees and sends photos to the adopting school and ENO. This feedback is very important – not just for the kids but also for the adults. The overall goal is to transfer 3 million tons carbon dioxide from atmosphere by 2025 when ENO Programme celebrates 25th anniversary or latest by 2026, when Paris agreement will have 10th anniversary