26 urban areas have been awarded Tree Cities of the World status for 2025, recognising their commitment to strengthening urban tree management and creating healthier, greener and more climate‑resilient communities. Cities across all four nations including Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff join an international network of 280 Tree Cities across 23 countries, all dedicated to advancing sustainable urban forestry.
Building on this UK-wide success, we’re thrilled to see the network grow even further this year with Halton Borough Council and the London Borough of Lewisham joining the network for the first time.
Tree Cities of the World is a global programme co‑founded in 2019 by The Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest non‑profit dedicated to planting trees, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
To earn Tree Cities of the World recognition, cities must meet five core standards: have clear responsibility for tree care, set official tree management rules, update an inventory of local tree resource, allocate a dedicated tree planting budget, and hold an annual tree celebration event with the community.
This year’s recognised UK Tree Cities are: Barking and Dagenham, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Camden, Cardiff, Coventry, Doncaster, Edinburgh, Halton, Hull, Ipswich, Islington, Leeds, Lewisham, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Redbridge, Sheffield, Solihull, Stockton‑on‑Tees, Telford, Tower Hamlets, Welwyn Hatfield, Wirral, and Wokingham.
Collectively, the efforts of the 26 recognised cities have resulted in the planting of nearly half a million trees last year, demonstrating the scale and impact of their urban greening commitments.
Introducing the Growth Awards: A New Chapter for Tree Cities of the World
As the programme expands, the Arbor Day Foundation together with the leaders of the programme are piloting Tree City Growth Awards, which recognise urban areas that go above and beyond the five core standards. This year, Telford and Tower Hamlets become the first two UK local authorities to secure this new accolade ahead of its formal launch later this year.
Dan Lambe, Chief Executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, said:
“The success of Tree Cities of the World is built on strong global partnerships, and Trees for Cities has been instrumental in advancing this work in the UK and beyond. The introduction of the pilot Growth Award marks an exciting evolution of the programme, recognising not just commitment, but measurable progress and leadership. Together, we are supporting cities to grow stronger, more resilient urban forests for generations to come.”
Environmental charity Trees for Cities leads the promotion of Tree Cities of the World in the UK, and supports the recognised cities to advance their urban tree‑planting efforts.
Kate Sheldon, CEO at Trees for Cities, said:
“Trees for Cities is proud to lead Tree Cities of the World in the UK, recognising and celebrating Councils that demonstrate high standards in urban forestry. We are inspired by every city recognised this year and proud to stand beside them as they build greener and healthier urban environments for present and future generations.”
Both Telford and Tower Hamlets showcased stand-out examples of community planting initiatives promoting the environmental, social and health benefits of trees while giving residents particularly children and young people a chance to reconnect with nature.
The complete list of recognised Tree Cities of the World is available on www.treecitiesoftheworld.org
