Policy Solution

Tree planting campaign

Awareness and Engagement

Overview:

Summary: Trees provide cooling through evapotranspiration and shading that decreases temperatures along walkways. Increasing vegetation provides numerous co-benefits like reducing pollution, improving the public realm, and decreasing energy costs. A tree planting campaign can encourage private property owners and businesses to plant more trees. Through a campaign, governments can also recruit volunteers and raise funds to plant trees on public land.

Implementation: Encourage residents to participate in and support tree planting efforts with tree giveaways, corporate sponsorship or competitions, and other programming. Participants can plant trees on their own property. Governments can collect funding for trees through donations from private sector partners and foundations.

Considerations for Use: This program provides cooling while increasing awareness about the role of tree canopies in extreme heat. An education campaign can support private property owners and businesses to understand the importance of continued maintenance and upkeep for trees on their property.

  • Policy Levers:

    Awareness and EngagementGovernments may design and operate programs with the goal of increasing awareness and engagement among constituents or stakeholder groups about the risks and opportunities of extreme heat.
  • Trigger Points:

    No-regrets actions (low cost/low effort but substantial benefit)Interventions that are relatively low-cost and low effort (in terms of requisite dependencies) but have substantial environmental and/or social benefits.
  • Intervention Type:
    Green/natural Infrastructure
  • Sectors:
    Education, Informal Settlements, Parks, Public Works

    Impact:

  • Target Beneficiaries:
    Heat-vulnerable communities, Property owners, Residents
  • Phase of Impact:
    Risk reduction and mitigation
  • Metrics:
    Change in urban canopy, Number of trees planted

Implementation:

  • Intervention Scale:
    City, District, Neighborhood
  • Authority and Governance:
    City government
  • Implementation Timeline:
    Short-term (1-2 Years)
  • Implementation Stakeholders:
    City government, Industry
  • Funding Sources:
    Grants and philanthropy, private investment, Public investment
  • Capacity to Act:
    High, Medium

    Benefits:

  • Cost-Benefit:
    Medium
  • Public Good:
    High
  • GHG Reduction:
    Medium
  • Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
    Improve stormwater management, Preserve biodiversity, Provide flood protection, Reduce air and water pollution, Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Co-benefits (Social):
    Build social cohesion, Improve human health, Improve the public realm, Increase property values