Trees for Cities leads the Tree Cities of the World programme in the United Kingdom.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) along with the Arbor Day Foundation have unveiled their Tree Cities of the World programme in the United Kingdom. It is an initiative to recognise cities and towns across all continents that meet core standards for the care and planning of urban trees and forests. Trees for Cities is leading the initiative to recruit and support cities throughout the UK to apply for designation.
To achieve recognition, cities must meet the programme’s five core standards: establish responsibility, set the rules, know what you have, allocate the resources and celebrate achievements. Councils can apply online until 31 December 2019.
Dan Lambe, President, Arbor Day Foundation said:
“We are excited to kick off the Tree Cities of the World programme in the UK. The programme brings private and public partners together, and Trees for Cities’ work with local communities is an example of the collaboration that is already taking place globally.”
“We are proud to join the Arbor Day Foundation and FAO in launching this new programme in the UK,” said David Elliott, Chief Executive at Trees for Cities. “Planting trees is our core mission. We have brought together partners from across the sector to form a new UK task force that will support Councils and communities to be recognised as Tree Cities of the World. We believe that this initiative will provide a robust platform through which we can better plant, protect and celebrate our tree heritage.”
The vision of the Tree Cities of the World programme is to connect cities around the world in a new network dedicated to sharing and adopting the most successful approaches to managing urban trees and forests. Recognition through the Tree Cities of the World programme represents the first step toward achieving a green vision for the qualifying communities.
Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help to improve visual appeal, offer shade, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.
To learn more about the programme or apply for designation, visit treecitiesoftheworld.org.
