Hamburg now "European City of Trees"

"Hamburg's all-encompassing commitment to its trees sets an example for other European cities to follow," said Jan Goevert, Chair of the ECOT working group. The protection of trees on construction sites was particularly impressive and Hamburg has been doing pioneering work in this area for years, he noted. Other deciding factors included measures such as the "Urban Trees in a Changing Climate" project. A plan to adapt trees to climate change, as well as long-term strategies against diseases and protecting old and existing trees were also cited as reasons for the ECOT award.

The city has more than 3,200 hectares of parks and green spaces. Over 30,000 of  230,000 street trees are over 80 years old, half of which are even over 100 years old. Trees are an essential part of the green infrastructure and key to the urban climate, said Katharina Fegebank, Deputy Mayor of Hamburg and Senator for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture. "They provide shade, cool their surroundings through evaporation, clean our air and buffer heavy rainfall with their canopies especially in times of climate change. We need them more than ever. Hamburg is a green city and should remain so," she added.

The first German tree protection ordinance was introduced in Hamburg in 1948. A digital tree register was established in 1998, and the tree pruning method developed in Hamburg has become a model for tree care in other cities. The award is both an honour and a responsibility. "Now is not the time to let up, but to secure and further develop the status quo we have achieved," added Fegebank.
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