Last week was National Tree Week, and I joined over 60 pupils from Begbrook Primary Academy, Deputy Mayor Asher Craig and volunteers from Plastic Pollution Awareness and Action Projects to help plant 210 trees in Begbrook Green Park. This tree planting event was part of our Replant Bristol campaign, which will build on our ambitious One Tree Per Child project, and encourage employers and partners to donate land and provide volunteers to we can plant One Tree Per Employee In Bristol.

By working in partnership with the Woodland Trust, the Bristol Tree Forum, the Forest of Avon Trust and a range of city partners, we have pledged to double the size of Bristol’s Tree canopy by 2046.

Increasing the number of trees in our city makes a big impact in our fight against air pollution and climate change. Bristol’s trees remove an estimated 100 tonnes of pollutants from our air every year, and remove up to 14,000 tonnes of CO2 every year. That’s equivalent to the annual emissions of 9,000 cars. Trees also soak up 90,000 cubic meters of water each year. They are also crucial to maintaining and improving our city’s biodiversity, helping us create natural wildlife corridors across the city. We have even considered the environmental impact of the materials we have used to help these young trees grow: instead of using plastic protective coating, the trees have been planted using biodegradable mats which will naturally decompose as the trees grow.

The trees the pupils planted last week will do even more, however. They will enrich our natural environment, making our city a greener and more pleasant place to live. The children I met all shared their excitement about making a difference to their local area, how much they enjoy having green space such as Begbrook Park on their doorstep, and how much they were looking forward to one day climbing and playing around the trees they have planted today.

I’d like to extend my thanks to the staff and pupils at Begbrook Primary Academy, and Plastic Pollution Awareness and Action Projects’ founder Naseem Talukdar, who has pledged to plant 1,000 trees across the city to support our ambition.

You can find more information about how to support Replant Bristol here.