Trump wants to help plant 1 trillion trees

President Trump announced the United States will join a 1 trillion trees initiative launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The initiative encourages countries to collectively plant 1 trillion trees to absorb carbon dioxide in order to combat climate change.

Trump, a skeptic of climate change, did not mention it in his remarks at the Davos summit last Tuesday, instead speaking generally about the importance of better managing trees and forests.

"We're committed to conserving the majesty of God’s creation and the natural beauty of our world," Trump said, adding that the U.S. "will continue to show strong leadership in restoring, growing, and better managing our trees and our forests."

The trillion trees initiative spawned from remarks by an ecologist last year at a meeting held by the American Association for the Advancement of Science who said that planting 1.2 trillion trees could "cancel out" the last decade of the world's carbon emissions.

Trump's focus on trees is consistent with the priorities of Republicans in Congress, who are soon planning to present a conference-wide plan to address climate change.

As part of that plan, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Arkansas, will introduce legislation focused on planting trees to absorb carbon.