London’s leafiest boroughs revealed as Earth Day study shows how much of the capital is covered in trees

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London's leafiest boroughs have been revealed in a new study, which shows how much of the capital is covered in trees.

Five boroughs have more than 25 per cent tree coverage, with Barnet, Richmond and Camden being the greenest.

However, the east London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking and Dagenham came bottom with less than 13 per cent tree coverage.

On average around 20 per cent of the capital is made up of urban forest, according to City Hall data.

Overall London, with its 8 million trees, ranks the third leafiest place in the country.

The city sits just behind Surrey and Exeter, according to data collected by OVO Energy and aerial survey company Bluesky and released to coincide with Earthday which was held yesterday.

Last year City Hall earmarked £700,000 to create a new woodland in Enfield, while Barking and Dagenham is planting more than 38,000 trees and shrubs as a Forest of Thanks' for NHS staff in Parsloes Park.

Tower Hamlets council has also committed to planting more, with 350 trees planned for Bethnal Green and Wapping in 2020/21 and a further 350 in Stepney Green and the Isle of Dogs in 2021/22.

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The Climate Change Committee has recommended that 1.5 billion trees would need to be planted by 2050 if the UK is to meet its net zero carbon target.

Kate Weinberg, from OVO Energy, said "There is nothing more important =han protecting the world we live in and trees are a huge part of that."

London boroughs ranked from best to worst for tree cover:

  • Barnet (27.1%)
  • Richmond upon Thames (27.04%)
  • Camden (26.16%)
  • Croydon (25.91%)
  • Bromley (25.73%)
  • Haringey (23.73%)
  • Kingston upon Thames (21.97%)
  • Waltham Forest (21.33%)
  • Enfield (21.27%)
  • Harrow (20.92%)
  • Hillingdon (20.84%)
  • Merton (20.83%)
  • Wandsworth (20.36%)
  • Islington (20.05%)
  • Southwark (19.86%)
  • Hounslow (19.27%)
  • Lewisham (18.96%)
  • Westminster (18.77%)
  • Kensington and Chelsea (18.74%)
  • Greenwich (18.73%)
  • Sutton (18.38%)
  • Hackney (18.17%)
  • Ealing (18.1%)
  • Lambeth (17.16%)
  • Redbridge (16.93%)
  • Havering (16.41%)
  • Bexley (15.52%)
  • Brent (14.45%)
  • Hammersmith and Fulham (13%)
  • Tower Hamlets (12.53%)
  • Newham (10.09%)
  • Barking and Dagenham (8.71%)

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