Portsmouth one of only 170 places globally to be recognised by Tree Cities of the World programme

Helping to make Portsmouth greener - then Lord Mayor Frank Jones and Lady Mayoress Joy Maddox help Manor Infant and Nursery School pupils plant 500 trees in their school grounds last year.

Portsmouth is one of only 21 places in the UK to receive the special recognition by the Tree Cities of the World programme.

The only other one along the whole of the south coast is Bexhill in Sussex.

Globally, Portsmouth is one of 170 recognised Tree Cities of the World across 21 countries.

The programme was founded by The Arbor Day Foundation, the largest membership non-profit in the world dedicated to planting trees, and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to recognise cities around the globe that have committed to creating and maintaining green spaces in their community.

PCC is continuing to pledge its commitment to be a sustainability and urban forestry leader, and to meet the programme's core standards for the care and planning of urban trees and forests.

The council aims to double the city's tree canopy coverage as part of its work towards becoming 'carbon net zero' by 2030.

Having more trees in the city doesn’t just make Portsmouth a great place to live, it's also known to improve mental wellbeing, air quality and biodiversity.

They also help to protect the public from flooding during heavy rain and cool the air during heatwaves.

Cllr Kimberly Barrett, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Greening the City at PCC, said: ‘I am thrilled that Portsmouth has again been recognised by a leading international organisation for its continued efforts to planting trees in the city.

‘Being recognised in the Tree Cities of the World programme means that our city is committing to go above and beyond to define trees as critical green infrastructure.

‘Trees are important to everyone, and we all want to live in a city that is healthy, resilient, and beautiful – trees make that possible.

‘Through this recognition, we are part of an international network of like-minded communities who understand the importance of planting trees in cities.

‘We look forward to continuing our work with the programme through its local UK partner organisation, Trees for Cities, who have supported us through their new coastal urban forest initiative.’

Since 2021, PCC has planted nearly 900 trees.