The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) is an initiative begun in 2015 as a network of forest conservation programmes throughout the 54 countries of the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...

. By 2016, 16 countries had become involved and, by 2023, the number was 54.

Origins

The idea was conceived in the 2000s by Member of Parliament Frank Field, but, was met by apathy from the political establishment. When he raised the idea at a

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

meeting, the concept found support from Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. It is the first environmental enterprise the Queen gave her name to. After approval and endorsement by the QCC, the projects are added to the network and "placed under the protection of the Queen herself."

Launch

The initiative was officially launched at the

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM; or) is a wiktionary:biennial, biennial summit meeting of the List of current heads of state and government, governmental leaders from all Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth nations. ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

in 2015. The Queen said, "this, and other initiatives, are a practical demonstration of the power of the Commonwealth, working as a group, to effect real change for generations to come." At that time, seven countries were involved, with

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

being the first, which was acknowledged by Princess Anne, Princess Royal, during a visit there. The three organisations behind the project are The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), the Commonwealth Forestry Association, and Cool Earth and its aim is to establish a global network of protected indigenous forests, through "raising awareness within the Commonwealth of the value of indigenous forests and to saving them for future generations"; generating "a unique network of forest conservation projects that brings collective credibility and integrity to individual Commonwealth countries"; raising "the profile of the Commonwealth, demonstrating the capacity of its 56 member countries to act together as one to ensure forest conservation"; using "the Commonwealth network to facilitate knowledge exchange, share best practice, and create new collaborative initiatives for forest conservation"; and creating "a physical and lasting legacy of The Queen's leadership of the Commonwealth".

Progress

ITV broadcast ''The Queen's Green Planet'' in April 2018, highlighting many of the initiatives around the world interspersed with footage of the Queen and Sir

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature d ...

discussing trees in the gardens of

; By this time, more than 40 countries had committed to taking part in the initiative. it showcased the "personal stake the royal family and other prominent ambassadors have in conservation efforts." By mid-2019, the number had reached 46 countries. The RCS stated in 2023 that 54 countries were committed to the QCC, bringing 115 sites and projects, totalling some 12 million hectares (29,652,646 acres) of forest, under its umbrella. In addition to its three sites within the QCC, Australia contributes via the

Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is an Australian Government statutory agency that forms part of the overseas aid program in the Foreign Affairs and Trade Portfolio, reporting to the Minister of Foreign Aff ...

, which is part of the country's foreign aid program.

Projects

References

External links