THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH CANOPY
The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta in 2015, with the vision of creating a pan-Commonwealth network of forest conservation projects that marks Her Majesty The Queen’s service to the Commonwealth and conserves indigenous forests for future generations. It is the first environmental initiative that The Queen gave her name to.
Since its creation in 2015, when seven countries initially committed themselves to the initiative, a total of 54 Commonwealth countries are now committed to the QCC. Collectively, those countries have dedicated in excess of 115 sites and projects to the QCC, conserving almost 12 million hectares of indigenous forests around the Commonwealth.
From botanical gardens in the Caribbean, to the diverse forests of the world’s largest sand island, and a gene bank of forests found in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, the QCC continues to create tangible benefits for communities and the environment across the Commonwealth, demonstrating the value of Commonwealth nations working together towards a common outcome.
"I have been especially touched by one such project, The Queen's Commonwealth Canopy, which has been proposed by Commonwealth countries wanting to harness their collective expertise and resources to protect the world's forests. 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."
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
KEY AIMS:
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The QCC is committed to raising awareness within the Commonwealth of the value of indigenous forests and to saving them for future generations
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It will generate a unique network of forest conservation projects that brings collective credibility and integrity to individual Commonwealth countries
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It will raise the profile of the Commonwealth, demonstrating the capacity of its 56 member countries to act together as one to ensure forest conservation
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It will use the Commonwealth network to facilitate knowledge exchange, share best practice and create new collaborative initiatives for forest conservation
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It will create a physical and lasting legacy of The Queen's leadership of the Commonwealth
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