Mexican president Speaks with U.S. vice president on World’s Largest forestation proposal

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will speak with Mexico’s president on May 7 about a proposal to expand Mexico’s largest forestation program  which covers South Mexico and Central America since 2019,” as way to reduce CO2 emissions to 60 million tons by 2023 while also reducing poverty levels and migration.

On a tweet Ebrad said, “Following up on the last conversation between Presidents López Obrador and Biden, a digital meeting will be held on May 7 with Vice President Kamala Harris. Marcelo Ebrard and Tatiana Clouthier will participate accompanying President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.”

En seguimiento a la última conversación de los Presidentes López Obrador y Biden,se efectuará encuentro digital el próximo 7 de mayo con la Vicepresidenta Kamala Harris. Participarán Marcelo Ebrard y Tatiana Clouthier acompañando al Presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) April 24, 2021

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has suggested the U.S. government offer temporary work visas and eventually citizenship to those who take part in the tree-planting program, called “Sembrando Vida,” or “Planting Life.” The reason behind this reasoning is because once the immigration to the U.S. come down with a series of programs, which includes the forestation plan, the U.S. will eventually have a scarcity of migrant workers for farming or essential work.

Harris’ senior advisor and chief spokesperson, Symone Sanders, confirmed next month’s virtual meeting between the U.S. vice president and President Lopez Obrador.

“This meeting will deepen the partnership between our countries to achieve the common goals of prosperity, good governance, and addressing the root causes of migration,” Sanders said in a statement, repeating Lopez Obrador focus on taking care of the root cause of migration.

The program aims to create 1.3 million jobs and plant 3 billion additional trees, to the 700 million Mexico has already planted since 2019 in the southeastern Mexico and Central America, Lopez Obrador said at a White House virtual climate summit last week.

The 3 billion trees will reduce C2O by 70 million tons, that is 18 million tons more than what Mexico committed to in 2019 at the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition to that, Mexico will reduce its fossil fuel production from 3.4 to 2 million daily oil barres, that’s a reduction of 40%.

Mexico’s forestation program “Sembrando Vida” in El Salvador

President Lopez Obrador also said that Biden “could finance” to increase Mexico’s current program already in implanted in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said in a Tweet that he and Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier would participate in the May 7 meeting, which is also slated to touch on cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden tapped Harris last month to lead diplomatic efforts to cut immigration from Mexico and Central America.

Video below shows Sembrando Vida in Mexico and El Salvador