Everyone deserves access to urban trees and nature - we're calling on MPs to sign the pledge to make your constituency a greener and healthier place to live. If you're a member of the public, you can help by sharing our Manifesto both online and in conversation with your local politicians.
People need trees in their lives like never before – trees that cool the air and boost wellbeing, trees that create healthy and resilient communities while boosting economic activity. Trees are intrinsically linked to developing healthy and prosperous places, yet communities up and down the country find themselves deprived of these vital building blocks.
Without a clear commitment from government to improve the provision of urban trees, real opportunities to support human health and wellbeing in everyday life will be lost, ultimately costing the economy, shortening lives and missing opportunities to adapt to climate change. We must level up the presence of trees in urban areas across the UK. No street, school or place of work should be a tree desert.
Our Demands
The role of trees in urban areas is overlooked and undervalued. This must change with fresh focus and investment if we are to create resilient communities fit for the 21st century. In line with the essential need to plant and protect trees, we call on MPs to:
1. Deliver tree equity for people in urban areas
Adopt trees first for climate resilience. Recognise trees and woodland as the most powerful tool for defending people from climate change, especially in urban areas where heat is increasingly a threat and where over 80% of the population live.
Focus on need. Promote trees in areas with the least trees and where trees can help the most, creating new targets to drive action where this is needed.
Include all. Promote the need to bring new people together to accelerate progress, including decision makers, businesses, developers, landowners, philanthropists and community groups.
2. Care for what we have
Manage trees as assets. Promote investment in urban trees to reap the benefits they offer including within streets. We need to increase tree cover massively across the UK, and to focus this in urban places.
A right to live amongst trees. Promote and embed a recognition that everyone has a right to trees where they live so they can breathe easy, take shade from the heat and connect with nature.
Look after it. Act urgently to better protect trees in urban areas where generations of people have already worked to green up our cities and towns. Protect urban trees in the same way we value our built heritage, expanding legislation where needed to do so.
3. Make local places matter
Ensure everyone can be 'pro tree'. Promote the creation of policies, regulation, insurance and planning that is more naturally pro tree, and suggest new targets or obligations where this is in question.
Foster healthy placemaking. Promote evidence about how trees support human health. Powerful evidence shows how trees and nature boost human health, but it’s not well used. Urban forestry offers jobs and skills development too, and the opportunity to connect with local places.
What is the Tree Equity score in your area? Find out for regions across the UK.
Sign the pledge
Are you an MP? Support our campaign to ensure urban trees are front and centre for government.
82
pledgees have signed the manifesto for urban trees
Are you a member of the public?
Please share this pledge with your local politicians and key decision-makers to encourage them to be champions for people and trees in urban areas. Consider writing to your MPs, asking them to get behind the Trees for Cities campaign.
You can also sign up to our monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with our latest projects and news.
Get in touch
If you're a politician and would like to talk to us, contact Carrie Hume, our Development & Partnerships Director, at 07355673965.
If you're an organisation interested in urban trees and want to support our call to action, or simply have questions, comments, or ideas, please write to us at info@treesforcities.org.