France wanted to plant 1 billion trees by 2032, but Justice said no
A court decision halts Frances plan to renew 1 billion trees, exposing controversies over intervention in forests threatened by parasites and severe drought. In France, the ambitious plan to renew 1 billion trees by 2032 suffered a strong judicial setback. The objective, after the large fires of 2022, seeks to renew about 10% of French forests in the face of the advance of climate change.
The Government had also set a first goal of 467 million trees renewed or planted by 2026. The urgency is real because French forests are dying rapidly due to parasites and severe droughts. Frances ambitious plan to renew 1 billion trees suffered a judicial setback. The problem came with the decree approved in May 2025, which established public aid to renew forest masses and constituted one of the main tools of the program. The Council of State annulled it on July 15, 2026 after a lawsuit filed by the environmental association Canopée. The Justice considered that the mechanism could have a direct and significant impact on the environment and that, for this reason, it should have been previously submitted to a public consultation. The decision does not mean that France has canceled the goal of 1,000 million trees. The problem is that it annuls the decree that regulated an important part of the aid intended to achieve it. In addition, the discussion exposed a controversy about how a forest should be renewed. The annulment of the aid decree also opens a discussion about how forests should be renewed. Environmental organizations question whether the program can finance felling and subsequent replanting, even in forests where part of the trees still remain in good condition. The debate comes at a delicate moment for French forests. Increasing tree mortality, fires and the loss of forests ability to absorb carbon have increased pressure on forestry policy. In parallel, the French Senate itself pointed out in 2026 that there is still incomplete data on how many trees were actually planted or regenerated, which leaves open the question of whether the country will be able to reach the 1 billion planned for 2032. In a nutshell• France: Justice stops the plan to plant 1 billion trees until 2032.• Context: The plan sought to renew forests affected by parasites and droughts, and the aid decree was annulled due to lack of public consultation.• Debate: The annulment generates controversy over forest renewal methods and the future of French forests in the face of climate change.
