Liberals Drop 2B Tree Pledge Ahead of Budget
The Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to abandon Canada’s target of planting two billion trees by 2031 — a flagship climate initiative launched during Justin Trudeau’s tenure — according to senior government sources.
Officials say the government will continue to honour existing contracts to plant one billion trees by 2031 but will not pursue the doubled goal set under Trudeau. The decision, expected to be confirmed in Tuesday’s federal budget, marks another major shift in Ottawa’s climate strategy.
The $3.2-billion tree-planting program was announced during the 2019 election campaign as part of Trudeau’s broader environmental platform. Sources indicate that unallocated funds from the program will now be redirected to other spending priorities.
Natural Resources Canada’s latest figures show only 228 million trees have been planted so far—leaving more than 1.7 billion short of the original target. The program has repeatedly missed its annual milestones over the past two years.
Carney has previously ended the consumer carbon tax and delayed the electric-vehicle sales mandate, positioning his “climate competitiveness strategy” as a more pragmatic economic plan. He has also committed to balancing the government’s day-to-day budget within three years, signalling cuts and a focus on program efficiency.
“The transformation of our economy will take sacrifice and time,” Carney said last month, noting that the upcoming budget aims to strengthen Canada’s competitiveness amid a “more dynamic and hostile” global landscape.
Budget insiders say the fiscal plan will include tax structure changes to promote investment, including revised credits for capital expenses. The overall deficit, however, is expected to rise compared to the last fiscal update.
Sources requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the contents of the budget.
