Forests cover one third of the Earth's land mass and host more than 80% of the animals, insects and plants on land. They perform vital functions, providing food, shelter, energy, medicines, oxygen and so much more to us.

On the International Day of Forests held every year on 21 March, we celebrate how forests protect and sustain us.

For this year’s edition, a stunning forest photo display was opened in Brussels city centre as part of the #ForestCityProject by Revolve Media, to whom UN Environment is a knowledge partner.

A young tree was planted in the middle of the photo exhibition cubes as part of a ceremony organised by UN Environment and the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC).

The tree invites people passing by to ‘connect with nature’ - the theme of World Environment Day 2017. The exhibition - which includes images from UN Environment - will therefore be on display in the Brussels’ Parc du Cinquantennaire until World Environment Day on 5 June, inspiring people to find trees and forests and rediscover what nature brings to us.  

Trees and forests are important for our physical and mental health, for biodiversity and for the livelihoods of millions of people around the word, stressed Carlos Jimenez, UNRIC Desk Officer for Spain and Andorra, and Thierry Lucas, coordinating UN Environment’s work on ecosystems in Europe.

The ceremony took place in the margins of a conference on wood and energy organised by Revolve media and hosted by Member of European Parliament Paul Brannen. It brought together over 150 policymakers, representatives from civil society and private sector and academia to discuss the value of wood as a source of innovation and boost to the bio-economy.

Presentations made at the Value of Wood forum, as well as more blogs and photos on these events, can be found here.

Read a blog on forests by Tim Christophersen, Senior Programme Officer for Forests and Climate Change at UN Environment here, and an article by Mette Wilkie, UN Environment Director of the Ecosystem Division, in the spring issue of Revolve Magazine here.

For more information contact alexa.froger@unep.org