A NEW climate action report shows money really can grow on trees as academics claim increasing woodland would support 2250 jobs in Glasgow.

Researchers from Queen's University in Belfast have found planting one tree can return more than £8000 for the local economy, trees can boost retail spending by up to 12% and reduce violent crime by 15%.

Now council leader Susan Aitken will take part in an international summit calling on the government to devolve more powers on energy, transport and housing to help hit NetZero.

Susan, who is also chairwoman of the City Region Cabinet, said: “The value of high quality green spaces to exercise and clear the mind has been acutely felt during the pandemic and, this year, we have a once in a generation opportunity to deliver on our climate ambitions and secure a Green Recovery.

“We have to ensure the economic, ecological and social benefits are felt by all.

"More street trees and planting new woodland bring huge benefits to our community - not just in terms of wellbeing, but in jobs and a boost to business.”

As told in the Glasgow Times, the Glasgow City Region is planning to create an urban forest to connect woodlands across the area.

The Clyde Climate Forest aims to plant 18 million trees – 10 trees for every person in the region over the next decade.

This will increase the woodland cover in the region from 17% to 20% and support Glasgow, which is hosting the UN COP26 summit in November, to meet its target of becoming a Net Zero Carbon city by 2030.

UK100 estimates that increasing woodland would create 2,250 new jobs in Glasgow.

Next's weeks summit is co-hosted by UK100 and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

The event will include Alok Sharma, COP President; Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng; and the Mayors of London, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, the West Midlands and Los Angeles.

The group will argue that a clear target must be added to the Environment Bill to reverse the decline in species and habitats by 2030 supported by the appropriate resourcing of Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

Glasgow Times:

The report, an extract of which has been released ahead of the summit, says planting trees could create 36,000 green jobs during the woodland restoration phase.

Researchers have shown that 25 jobs are created for every 100 hectares of woodland that are restored during the restoration phase.

In particular, retail and hospitality businesses can benefit from such interventions, sectors that have been hard hit by the pandemic.

Shoppers are willing to go shopping more frequently, travel further and visit for longer times in shopping areas with pleasant tree cover.

Consumers in an academic study said they were willing to pay up to 12% more for goods and services in shopping areas with large, well cared for trees. (10)

Polly Billington, Chief Executive of UK100, said “Money really does grow on trees.

"Planting trees isn’t just good for our environment, it’s good for the economy - helping businesses to recover from the pandemic.

"It is also a way to address environmental inequalities and level up the UK.”

Down south, the Great Northern Forest Scheme plans to plant 50 million trees in a new woodland that will join up Liverpool, Manchester and Lancaster with Leeds, Sheffield and Hull.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, added: “Investing in trees and improving our urban green spaces can help our residents to breathe cleaner air and can help to meet our climate ambitions.

"But it can also give our high streets and our wider economy a much needed boost, bringing good green jobs to places across our city-region.

"That’s why we’re planting a tree for every citizen of Greater Manchester through our City of Trees movement.”

There are now nearly 60 cross-party local leaders, including Glasgow's, who have committed to the UK100 pledge to meet Net Zero at least five years earlier than Whitehall.

The conference will feature an address by Eric Garcetti, the Mayor of Los Angeles, and also involve an international networking session for local authorities with participants from cities all over the world, including Tokyo, Melbourne and Buenos Aires.