The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, marked National Tree Week today by announcing a half a million pounds investment into tree-planting across the capital as he planted the 500,000th tree funded during his Mayoralty.
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00:00 We love trees!
00:02 Why is it important that we have more trees in London?
00:04 Well, what people don't realise is the importance of trees to tackling the climate emergency,
00:10 to cleaning up the area in our city, but also to make sure people's mental health is better.
00:14 Why do I say that?
00:15 We know because of the 8 million trees across our city, that's captured and stores more
00:21 than 2 million tonnes of carbon.
00:24 Trees are also really important in taking in a particular amount of nitrogen oxide,
00:28 but also we know unfortunately in the more deprived parts of our cities there tends to
00:32 be fewer trees.
00:34 We know from the pandemic the difference connection with nature meant.
00:38 So what we're doing is planting record numbers of trees in London.
00:42 I'm really pleased and proud we've now planted the 500,000th tree since I became mayor.
00:47 We've announced some more funding today, £500,000, we've got more trees to be planted, particularly
00:52 along streets, but also in those parts of London where there are fewer trees.
00:56 It is a lot lower though than the 2 million trees you promised to plant before your first
01:00 term, when you promised they would be planted within your first term.
01:05 Is that something you've thought about since, in terms of coming to the realities of being
01:09 in office?
01:10 I was quite clear in my manifesto when I stood to be mayor in 2016.
01:14 We would massively increase the number of trees being planted.
01:16 We've broken all sorts of records.
01:18 We've planted more trees in my seven and a half years than the previous two mayors did.
01:22 We now have more than 8 million trees planted in London.
01:25 We're on target to increase tree cover, tree canopy by 10%, but at the same time rewilding
01:31 our city.
01:32 So we're just planting more trees, not just greening our city more.
01:35 Two new meadows.
01:37 We've also brought back beavers, bats and bees.
01:41 We're also making sure we restore our rivers, meadows and wetlands as well.
01:46 It's incredibly important though that we get more support from the government.
01:49 At the time when COP28 has begun, the government has roaned back on our climate change commitments
01:54 in London.
01:55 We're speeding ahead.
01:56 What are you most proud of of your environmental record so far?
01:59 A number of things in relation to the environment.
02:02 Trees is one thing, beavers is another thing, the meadows is another thing.
02:06 Really proud of what we're doing around air quality is another thing.
02:08 The thing about the environment is you've got to keep on going forward.
02:11 You can't stand still.
02:12 We know over the last few hundred years our city's been de-wilded.
02:15 We're trying to re-wild it.
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