10 December 2025
Guillemont Road Cemetery planting marks first of 39,000 trees by 2039
The planting of eight Field Maple trees at Guillemont Road Cemetery (Somme, France) marks the first in a long-term tree planting project which will see us plant 39,000 trees across our global estate by 2039.
Among our guests were Laurence Lecoustre, Sub-Prefect of the Somme, Franck Beauvarlet, representing the Conseil départemental de la Somme, the Director of the Sir John Monash Centre, Ben Daetwyler, and other friends and partners of the Commission.
Carried out by our staff, our guests, and local pupils of a local school close to the village of Guillemont, the planting was a ceremonial start to a programme that will see 39,000 trees at our sites around the world - combining the latest tree plotter software with more than 100 years of horticultural expertise to identify key sites across our global estate for the programme.
Director for France Area, Jeremy Prince said : “We are honoured to be here in Guillemont Road Cemetery launching CWGC’s global tree planting programme, capturing carbon, boosting biodiversity and contributing to the beauty of our sites and landscapes
"Today we plant the first eight trees of this commitment – Field maples – a climate-resilient variety and we are joined by the community to show how we are planting for tomorrow”
Head of Environmental Sustainability at the CWGC, Lise Andreassen, said: “It is wonderful to see our 39,000 Trees by 2039 project begin and I am excited to see the positive impact it will have on the environment at our sites, all around the world.
“By planting these trees, biodiversity will be enhanced and more carbon dioxide will be captured and stored.
“All of this builds on our global drive to progressively improve the sustainability of our work and our sites, whilst we continue our ongoing commitment to care for the fallen, in perpetuity.”
Guillemont Road represents the type of site where we can make a real impact; today we are replacing planting that has struggled, by introducing a new species that will thrive.
This program forms part of our long-term sustainability goals, that will see us enhance the environmental impact of our sites around the world, with a focus on capturing more carbon and supporting the thriving natural habitats we care for across the world.
By 2039 – marking the 100 year anniversary of the start of the Second World War – we’ll have planted 39,000 trees, supporting local wildlife, improving soil health, sequestering carbon and enriching the CWGC visitor experience for decades to come.
Learn more about 39,000 Trees for 2039
We want to ensure our cemeteries, memorials and their surrounding landscapes are healthy, climate-resilient and biodiverse, whilst remaining places of deep meaning. By committing to planting 39,000 trees for 2039 across our global estate, we recognise our responsibility to capture more carbon and support thriving natural habitats.