IIASA Director General supports ambitious Austrian tree-planting initiative

© IIASA

The project was inspired by Prof. Schellnhuber’s proposal to plant and maintain 500 billion trees globally to ultimately sustainably construct 2 billion homes from timber and other bio-based material until the end of this century – an ambitious, but scientifically grounded solution to tackle both the climate crisis and the growing demand for housing. The IIASA Population and Just Societies Program provided key analytical support to help establish how local actions – such as planting 50 trees per child – scale meaningfully in the context of planetary needs.

Based on current birth rates, approximately 4,000 children are born in Vorarlberg each year. This translates into 200,000 additional trees planted annually under this initiative. Over time, this will contribute to global afforestation efforts, store carbon, and build the ecological foundation for a sustainable, timber-based construction future.

During his keynote address at the launch event last week, Prof. Schellnhuber emphasized the critical role of integrating environmental sustainability with economic development. He highlighted that utilizing timber from sustainably managed forests can significantly reduce carbon emissions from the built environment and even turn it into a carbon sink, thereby helping to repair the climate. By adopting such nature-based solutions, regions like Vorarlberg can lead the way in demonstrating how local actions contribute to global climate goals.

The event also featured a performance by a group of youth ambassadors, who presented scenes from their environmental musical Waaritaanka, underlining the importance of climate action through art and education.

The initiative in Vorarlberg supports the growing recognition that sustainable development begins at the community level, and that ambitious climate action is both possible and essential. We just need to get started – one tree (or 50) at a time.