£2 million to increase tree planting and green space in London

The Mayor of London has awarded £2 million for tree planting and green space projects around London, as part of the third round of the Grow Back Greener Fund.

The Grow Back Greener Fund prioritises projects in areas with tree canopy cover, where Londoners live more than a 10-minute walk from a green space, or that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The fund aims to increase tree planting in improve access high-quality green spaces for Londoners.

So far, rounds one and two have awarded more than £2 million in funding to deliver almost 80 projects, including community gardens, river restoration and green school playgrounds and housing estates.

Round three will support 56 community projects, including the "Trees for Cities" project.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "The positive impacts of rewilding and green spaces on the environment are significant, which is why I am proud to be awarding a further £2 million to tree planting projects in the capital.

"The extreme temperatures and devastating fires that raged across our city this summer laid bare London’s vulnerability to the consequences of climate change, proving that we can no longer afford to be indifferent or complacent about this issue. That is why I’m doing all that I can to tackle the ecological problems that we face by investing into vital projects to improve our climate resilience.

"My fund prioritises tree-planting projects in areas with low tree canopy cover helping to ensure that more Londoners are within a 10-minute walk of a green space. This in turn will help build a safer, greener, more prosperous city for all."

Image by Callum O'Neill from Pixabay