In another ambition plan to combat the effects they have on climate change, Leeds City Council has revealed they want to spend £350K a year on planting new trees in the city and its boroughs.
The announcement comes at the same time as the council revealing they will also be spending £200M on cutting carbon emissions in half by 2025 – with the aim of becoming carbon free by 2030.
The plans include creating more than 2.4 sq miles of new woodland in Leeds, and have been approved by Leeds City Council to spend £350K in doing so.
Speaking of the decision, Dr Cat Scott (expert in biosphere climate interactions at the University of Leeds) has commented on Leeds efforts, saying:
“To plant enough trees to at least contribute at offsetting this, you would need between 300 and 500 hectares per year.
“These plans are exactly what cities need to be doing.”
“I can’t see other cities with higher targets,”
“This is an ambitious thing that Leeds is doing – along with Bristol it will be one of the most ambitious in the UK.” Looks like Leeds is well and truly leading the pack in a bid to combat climate change!
The “ambitious” plan outlines how 25 hectares of new woodland will need to be created every year for the next 25 years to meet the target of 2.4 sq miles.
[Featured image: Unsplash]
