Paris will plant 170.000 trees to improve the city's climate
Paris has been one of the cities with excessive air pollution for years. Now, the French capital wants to improve the city's climate by planting 170.000 new trees, the DPA reported.
Additional trees should be planted wherever there is space, on the streets, in squares, in parks, as well as on the embankments of the city ring road, the city administration said.
The goal is to fight climate change. The trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), improve air quality and contribute to the cooling of the city during the summer heat waves. In addition, trees are a natural barrier to noise and visual pollution, which will improve the health of Parisians and reduce stress.
Paris is already one of the richest wood capitals in Europe, the city administration said. There are about 200.000 trees in the city itself, and another 300.000 in the urban forests of Bologna and Vincennes.
Additional trees should be planted by 2026. In the first planting season 2020-21, almost 14.000 young trees have already been added. The city works with its own tree garden for this purpose.
Less than 1,5 percent of the trees will need to be cut down for safety reasons. Since 2014, Paris has been tracking trees with an automated system: each tree has its own digital ID card and is checked annually. On average, the trees on the streets are not older than 80 years.
The French Council of State has made it clear this summer that efforts are urgently needed to improve the climate in Paris. He fined the country millions of euros for excessive air pollution in several metropolises, including Paris.
Source: MIA