Belfast achieved a major milestone in its “1 Million Trees Initiative” aimed at driving an urban green revolution and meeting climate targets.
Under this initiative, Belfast City Council and the local community have planted approximately 300,000 trees, along with a major expansion of community gardens by introducing new trees.
It’s no mistake to say that Belfast is quietly building one of Europe’s largest urban climate projects, which aims to transform local neighbourhoods, air quality and biodiversity by 2035.
The initiative also aims to have 10 lakh native trees by 2035 and 30 percent canopy coverage by 2050.
A major milestone under the initiative was announced during a committee meeting at City Hall. According to council officials, the planting of almost 300,000 trees was “a good news”.
According to the council’s overall tree strategy for people and communities, City Hall reports, “Since the inception of the One Million Trees initiative in 2020, the council and its partners have planted a total of 293,516 new trees and 4,232 linear meters of hedgerows, with the council committed to achieving 30 per cent canopy cover by 2050.”
Community Garden Extension
Following a council resolution approved in November 2025, a community garden project launched its first sites in the spring to improve local tree canopy cover and create an edible landscape.
Talking about future plans, Belfast City Council is also planning to target the least populated neighborhoods first. The council also intends to expand small community gardens at the start of the next annual planting season, running from November to March.
According to Fred Cobden, chair of the council’s People and Communities Committee, “These projects not only improve our environment and boost biodiversity, they also support better physical and mental health, and create places where people can come together to enjoy the benefits of nature on their doorstep.”
The City Council also acknowledged the National Trust’s important role in increasing “2025–26 tree planting figures”.
The Belfast One Million Trees initiative was launched in December 2020, inspired by the Belfast Metropolitan Residents Group and coordinated by Belfast City Council.
The 15-year project is supported by the Woodland Trust, the National Trust and the Belfast Hills Partnership.
