Already, faith communities and civil society actors are planting hundreds of millions of trees worldwide. While faith institutions own a whopping 8% of habitable land on earth and 8 in 10 people ascribe to a religious or spiritual tradition, there is a dire need for capacity building and provision of scientific approaches to aid in effective and impactful tree growing efforts by faith actors, as described in UNEP’s Faith for Earth strategy for the implementation of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Major religious traditions around the world call for living in harmony with nature as basic principles are engraved in their teachings. Building on these spiritual connections is essential in facing the triple planetary crises of climate, biodiversity, and pollution in rural and urban areas.

With this in mind, the guidelines presented in this publication, view tree growing as one element on the canvas of the restorative actions that can be played by faith actors, and others, at the global, regional and local levels