Wednesday 2 June 2021

Glasgow commits to planting 18m trees

Glasgow has pledged to plant 18 million trees over the next decade.

The figure translates to ten trees for every man, woman and child living in the Glasgow city region.

The city will host COP26 later this year and says the initiative aims to increase the area that woodland occupies in the region from 17% to 20%.

It is estimated there are around 29,000 hectares of woodland in the area, but they are separated by buildings and infrastructure.

The new planting scheme aims to connect these woodlands and help restore nature and boost biodiversity.

The local authority is calling on groups and land managers to help them identify places to plant new trees or replace those that have been lost in recent years.

Councillor Andrew Polson, Joint Leader of East Dunbartonshire Council and Chair of the Land Use and Sustainability Portfolio for Glasgow City Region, said: "Trees are nature's own green lungs, improving the air that we breathe and soaking up harmful carbon dioxide emissions from our environment.

"Expanding Glasgow City Region's woodlands to create a new inter-connected forest will provide many lasting benefits."