Town officially a ‘tree city of the world'

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston has made a priority of environmental issues with a pledge to plant more than 10,000 trees.

Now the town has been recognised by a global scheme which celebrates and promotes places that create green spaces in urban areas and joins a group including Malmo in Sweden, Buenos Aires in Argentina, San Francisco in the USA and Barcelona in Spain.

The ‘Tree City of the World' initiative was founded by The Arbor Day Foundation and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to recognise cities around the globe that have committed to growing and maintaining their urban forest.

To join Tree Cities of the World, Middlesbrough has pledged its commitment by meeting five ‘programme standards' that demonstrate its dedication and determination towards planting and conserving trees for a greener future.

The town has earned the prestigious accolade in the Foundation's second year of the programme.

Mr Preston said: "This is a fantastic endorsement of Middlesbrough's commitment to planting new trees and doing everything we can to protect our precious environment.

"We've been giving away thousands of young trees to be planted right across the town, and they will act as the lungs of the town by absorbing CO2.

"They're also vital for enhancing existing green areas and helping to bring back lost open space.

"This accolade will simply make us more determined than ever to keep up the momentum."

Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe said: "We applaud all of the cities that have earned Tree Cities of the World designation. They are leaders when it comes to planning and managing their urban forests.

"Many of the cities being recognised have gone above and beyond to use trees as part of their green infrastructure. This distinction is a celebration of their creativity and sustainability in creating healthier urban spaces."