Going for Green: How greening Portsmouth can make us all safer, healthier and happier

In their most recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ruled with 95 per cent certainty that humans are the main reason for global warming.

So a lot of the potential solutions to this involve a change in behaviour.

But there are ways people can work with nature to reduce and possibly reverse some of the effects.

Greenery is a very important tool for both adapting to extreme weather and slowing down climate change by absorbing carbon.

Studies have found that having plants, hedges and trees in streets can reduce levels of nitrogen dioxide by 40 per cent and particulate matter by 60 per cent.

Researchers found asthma rates among children aged four and five fell by a quarter for every additional 343 trees per square kilometre.

And there are more benefits to greenery than just fighting climate change and improving air quality.

Parks and green spaces are known to assist in improving child development, including better dexterity and coordination, and the opportunity to build social connections and relationships.

Evidence shows that people who live close to and use green spaces tend to exercise more.

They also have a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, premature death, and preterm birth.

Wildlife such as birds, bugs and bats need greenery to survive and these creatures provide incalculable benefits to human health and wellbeing such as pollinating our crops.

And active travel is improved by creating safe green corridors that encourage people to walk or cycle to work.

This is why the Portsmouth Climate Action Board is urging us all to think about how we can make the city a greener place.

Board member Nick Sebley said: ‘The climate emergency means hotter and longer heatwaves in the summer but also more bursts of intense rain throughout the year.

‘Unfortunately concrete and tarmac make both scenarios worse: they absorb the sun’s heat during the day then radiate it from dusk onwards meaning we can’t get respite from a heatwave even at night; they also stop heavy rainfall being absorbed into the soil, which can lead to flash flooding.

‘Luckily greenery and trees have the opposite effect: the leaves of a tree or plant act like tiny air conditioners, releasing moisture to cool the air as well as providing shade for residents, buildings and roads.

‘The less the built environment absorbs heat during the day the less it gives off at night.

‘Shelter from trees can reduce energy costs– research suggests a per tree saving in carbon emissions as a result of reduced building energy use of around 10-11kg per year.