Trees and Climate Change - GreenBlue Urban

Trees and Climate Change

Climate change isĀ said to be the most significantĀ environmental challenge of the century. Governments around the globe are grappling with what to do and how toĀ mitigate the increasing threat.Ā With COP21, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, just around the corner, cooperation of over 190 countriesĀ aims to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate.

Mature trees can play an important part in national climate change strategies. In this article, we review how trees effect climate change to offerĀ landscape architects, urban designers, and other planning authorities a glimpseĀ into whyĀ matureĀ trees should beĀ a critical part of our urban infrastructures.

TheĀ Relation Between Trees and Climate Change

Greenhouse gases trap heat as theyĀ accumulateĀ in the atmosphere. It is this increased heat that leads to climate pattern changes. Carbon dioxide, which the human race has produced increasing amounts over recent decades, is one of the largestĀ contributors to climate change. Trees decrease the concentration of carbon dioxide by absorbing it and converting it into clean oxygen. ThisĀ natural process, known asĀ photosynthesis, makes mature treesĀ our most efficient, cost effective, and natural formĀ to combat climate change.

Managing our urban forests to help them retain, and more importantly increase, their carbon storage potential can maximize theĀ ability for trees toĀ mitigate climate change. It is essential that we recognize the value of this benefit by providing for our urban tree populations, implementing urban tree planting best practices, andĀ avoiding urban and rural deforestation wherever possible.

The Increasing Demand on Urban Planning & Design

By signing up to increasing international carbon reduction targets, governments around the world areĀ issuingĀ challenges to everyone involved in urban space design. While we cannot realistically claim that planting trees in cities will significantly affect global climate change, what we do know is that they have a major role to play in city climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Trees can reduce temperatures around them by providing shade and cooling through transpiration and evaporation processes. Clusters of well established trees probably represent the most effective tool available to urban designers in combating urban heat islands and heat sinks in cities. These pockets of heat accumulate in urban areas as a result of solar energy and glare reflected off engineered hard surfaces. These same surfaces store the heat and release it over night, scarcely having time to cool before the next sun rise.

“One well established tree can have the effect of
10 room sized air conditioners – but of course from a
totally sustainable and zero energy source!”

The current targets set for CO2 reduction are extremely challenging. By 2020, a reduction of 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 and higher per annumĀ is looked for in many countries, and by 2050 a reduction target of 80% of 2009 levels. These targetsĀ however, could increase even more at COP21 in Paris.

Implementing Trees into the Strategy & HowĀ GreenBlue Can Help

If trees are to play a part in carbonĀ reduction strategies, a lot needs to happen quickly. GreenBlue Infrastructure Solutions can help withĀ implementing trees into urban planning in a way that will ensure they reach maturity and offer the extend of their benefits.

  • Assistance in evaluating project plans and tree pit designs

  • Providing guidance on best practice in tree pit layout and planting methods

  • OfferingĀ quality advice on urban treeĀ requirements

  • Providing detailed tree pit specifications and costing

  • Supplying practical, cost effective products to assist tree establishment

  • On site support when planting

  • ProvidingĀ suitable qualified contractors to executeĀ installation

For more information about our products and services and our market leadingĀ ArborSystem tree planting packages, contact one of our knowledgeable consultants.