Sheffield has received Tree Cities of the World recognition, bringing a wealth of benefits to local communities, now and into the future.
Image Credit: Sheffield City Council
The Tree Cities of the World programme is an international effort to recognise cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are celebrated, sustainably managed and properly maintained.
To be recognised as a Tree City, a city must meet five core standards that illustrate a commitment to caring for its trees and forests. These include establishing responsibility for the care of trees, having a policy that governs the management of trees and having an updated inventory of trees within the city boundary.
In recent years, the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership has worked tirelessly to promote and enhance a network of street trees that Sheffielders can be proud of, and the group continues to positively, actively and sustainably steer the sustainable management of Sheffield’s distinguished urban forest.
This latest acknowledgement further demonstrates the progress made by the partnership in delivering against the exemplary Sheffield Street Tree Strategy, which was published in 2021.
Nathan Edwards, Chair of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership said:
“We are thrilled that Sheffield has received this recent global recognition. It comes after months of hard work and resilience by our partnership members who have dedicated their time and effort to making this happen.”
“Becoming a Tree City of the World means we can continue to build on the progress which has already been made in protecting and nurturing our street trees. Residents can be reassured that we have the right governance and resources in place to protect our urban forest now and for future generations.”
“With more trees per person than any city in Europe, Sheffield is known as one of the greenest cities in the UK and continues to celebrate and invest in its trees and woodlands.”
Sheffield is rightly proud of its green heritage and the abundance of trees on streets, in parks and across our many greenspaces and woodlands provides many benefits.
Trees make urban areas and local neighbourhoods more attractive places in which to live and work, as well as being good for our physical and mental health. They also help make us more resilient to climate change and support local wildlife.
Executive member for Housing, Roads and Waste Management at Sheffield City Council, Councillor Paul Wood said:
“In recent years we have worked alongside our partnership members to improve and enhance the way our street trees in Sheffield are managed.
“Being recognised as a Tree City of the World is testament to the commitment of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership and is a well-deserved accolade, which symbolises the positive progress made.
“By meeting the core standards required to achieve this recognition, we are ensuring a thorough and established management approach to enriching our street tree population and moreover, making sure that approach is rightfully celebrated.”
There are 138 recognised tree cities across the world, with 19, including Sheffield, being in the UK.
Find out more about Tree Cities of the World and what the recognition means for Sheffield.