From the Metropolitan City of Milan to the China Pavilion at the UN Conference: Tree Canopy Cover as urban infrastructure and environmental education for younger generations at the heart of the presentation by Maria Chiara Pastore, Scientific Director of Forestami

Milan, 3 November 2026 – COP17 on biodiversity has concluded in Yerevan, Armenia, with Forestami, the Metropolitan City of Milan’s urban forestry project, playing a leading role on two fronts: it received the prestigious United Nations recognition as a World Restoration Flagship, joining a selection of internationally recognized ecosystem restoration initiatives, and brought the experience of “In the Canopies”, the educational project of Forestami Academy – the programme dedicated to urban green spaces by Forestami in partnership with Prada Group – to the Conference. The initiative will accompany children from one hundred 4th and 5th grade primary school classes across the Metropolitan City of Milan throughout the 2026/2027 academic year as they discover the role of plants and, in particular, their canopies in the urban environment. The programme also includes a dedicated student diary, designed to guide children month by month as they explore the concept of Tree Canopy Cover.

The key pillars of Forestami Academy’s “In the Canopies” educational project were presented by Maria Chiara Pastore, Scientific Director of Forestami and Professor at Politecnico di Milano, during a prestigious international event at the China Pavilion, which hosted the programme of the Chinese delegation at COP17. China, together with Italy, is among the countries represented in the 2026 World Restoration Flagships.

At the heart of the educational project is Tree Canopy Cover, the extent of an area covered by tree canopies, considered not simply as a decorative element, but as a key component of urban infrastructure that can help mitigate the effects of climate change and improve quality of life in cities.

“Bringing Forestami Academy to an international forum such as COP17 was an important opportunity to share an experience developed across the Metropolitan City of Milan and engage with organizations around the world that are working to address the same challenges,” said Maria Chiara Pastore, Scientific Director of Forestami and Professor at Politecnico di Milano. “Presenting ‘In the Canopies’ at the China Pavilion gives us the opportunity to highlight a project that recognizes environmental education as a fundamental tool for building greater awareness of the value of nature in cities. We believe that bringing younger generations closer to scientific knowledge of trees, biodiversity and the benefits of urban tree canopy cover means investing in their education and in communities’ ability to imagine and build more sustainable cities. The international recognition of these experiences confirms the importance of continuing to invest in promoting a culture of urban greenery, engaging citizens, schools and institutions. I would like to thank partners such as Prada Group for supporting Forestami in this mission.”

Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Head of Sustainability, commented: “The presentation of the ‘In the Canopies’ educational project at COP17 confirms how education can provide common ground for raising awareness of environmental challenges. We are proud that the programme developed together with Forestami, and dedicated this year to younger generations, can be shared beyond the territory where it originated, helping to promote knowledge as the starting point for a more conscious relationship with the environment around us.”

Forestami was born from an initiative by architect Stefano Boeri, based on research conducted by the Politecnico di Milano, supported by Fondazione Falck and FS Sistemi Urbani, on the potential and benefits of urban forestry in the metropolitan area of Milan. It later evolved into a project promoted by the Municipality of Milan, the Metropolitan City of Milan, the Lombardy Region, Parco Nord Milano, Parco Agricolo Sud Milano, ERSAF, Fondazione Cariplo, Fondazione di Comunità Milano together with Fondazione Comunitaria Nord Milano and Fondazione Comunitaria Ticino Olona, as well as the Milanese universities Politecnico, Statale and Bicocca. The project aims to plant 3 million trees by 2030, enhance the natural capital of the urban and peri-urban fabric, help reduce air pollution and improve the quality of life in Greater Milan while also combating the effects of climate change.In April 2025, the Forestami Foundation was established, becoming the Third Sector Entity (ETS) responsible for implementing and developing the Forestami project. The new Foundation continues its work thanks to collected donations and can also develop additional projects both within the Metropolitan City of Milan and on a national scale to help improve the environment.