A new study reports that trees and other urban tree cover help offset a substantial share of heat generated by buildings and pavement across the world’s cities, but the cooling effect is not evenly distributed. The research finds that, when results are averaged across all cities, tree cover counters nearly half of the urban heating caused by heat-absorbing surfaces. One cited global average is about 0.15°C of cooling, derived from the combined effect of trees across urban areas. However, the study concludes that this benefit is weaker in the hottest and often poorer cities where cooling is most needed as climate warming intensifies. According to the summaries, tree cover provides more cooling in comparatively richer and cooler locations, while areas with higher heat stress tend to receive less mitigation. The study’s overall message is that expanding and protecting urban tree cover could reduce heat in many cities, but additional action may be required to address heat risks in lower-income, hotter urban areas where current tree coverage and cooling benefits are insufficient.
Study finds global urban tree cover cools about half of city heating, unevenly
A new study reports that trees and other urban tree cover help offset a substantial share of heat generated by buildings and pavement across the world’s cities, but the cooling effect is not evenly di...
- A new study finds urban tree cover cools nearly half of the heating attributed to pavement and buildings across global cities, on average.
- The global average cooling effect reported is about 0.15°C when averaged over cities.
- Cooling benefits from trees are uneven across locations, with stronger effects in richer and cooler areas.
- The study says tree-driven cooling is weaker in hotter, poorer cities where it is needed most.
- The findings suggest urban heat-mitigation efforts may need to focus more on heat-stressed, lower-income areas.
Trees are countering nearly half the urban heating from pavement and buildings in the world's cities, but they're not doing enough cooling in hotter, poorer cities where it's needed the most as the world warms, a new study found.
3 months agoWhen averaged out over all the world’s cities, tree cover cools an average of 0.15 degrees Celsius
3 months agoTree cover globally cools nearly half of the warming from built-up cities, but it’s doing it more in richer, cooler areas and less in hotter poorer areas where it’s needed most
3 months ago
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