Home News Archive Increasing tree coverage to 30% in European cities could reduce deaths linked to urban heat island effect

Increasing tree coverage to 30% in European cities could reduce deaths linked to urban heat island effect

Global warming and the expansion of the built environment are expected to intensify the urban heat island (UHI) effect, and related adverse health impacts. A new study shows that an increasing tree coverage to 30% would lower temperatures by an average 0.4°C, avoiding about 1.8% of all summer deaths in European cities, and nearly 40% of deaths attributable to UHI effects.

Read more on the European Commission website.

Date: 23 Jun 2023