Environment, the Italian Forestami project awarded by the United Nations

The Forestami project of the metropolitan city of Milan has obtained prestigious international recognition, being included by the United Nations among the World Restoration Flagships, the global reference initiatives for the restoration of ecosystems. The official announcement came from Yerevan, Armenia, during the COP17 United Nations Biodiversity Conference. This is a milestone of great importance for Italy: Forestami is in fact the only European project to appear among the 2026 winners, selected together with four other environmental regeneration plans active in China, Colombia, Ethiopia and the United States.

Green cure against the smog of the Po Valley

Born in 2018 from research by the Polytechnic of Milan, the project aims to counteract the historic environmental criticalities and the intense urbanization that characterize the Milan area and the Po Valley basin. The strategy for 2030 envisages increasing the tree cover of the territory by 5% through the planting of three million trees, ideally one for each inhabitant of the province. The operation will lead to the ecological redevelopment of 255 hectares of urban areas, transforming old abandoned spaces and 'grey' neighborhoods into new natural oases accessible to citizens.

The benefits of nature in the urban ecosystem

The inclusion of trees and vegetation in the metropolitan fabric does not only respond to an aesthetic need, but represents a fundamental infrastructure for improving public health and liveability. The widespread presence of urban forests helps to mitigate summer temperatures, counteract the phenomenon of heat islands and improve air quality. Furthermore, the increase in local biodiversity proves to be a strategic ally in defending the territory from extreme and sudden meteorological events linked to global climate change.

A shared vision between institutions and citizens

"When we started, we asked ourselves how much CO2 three million new trees could absorb", explained architect Stefano Boeri, creator and founder of Forestami, underlining how the key to success lies in the ability to network institutions, municipalities, businesses and local communities. The award was received in Armenia by Maria Chiara Pastore, scientific director of the project and professor at the Polytechnic, who underlined the importance of spreading a new culture of nature in the city, so that care for the environment becomes part of modern urban planning and the daily life of every citizen.

The UN global plan for nature restoration

The World Restoration Flagship awards are part of the United Nations Decade of Action for Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), jointly led by the Environment Program (UNEP) and FAO. To date, the United Nations has awarded a total of 35 large-scale projects around the world. According to data released by the UN, these initiatives aim to recover over 74 million hectares of degraded territories on the planet, of which more than 19 million are already actively affected by the first reforestation and protection interventions.