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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Seth Borenstein

Study says trees counter half the world's urban heating, but not in the places that need it most

Climate Cooling Trees - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Trees are countering nearly half the urban heating from pavement and buildings in the world's cities, but they're not doing enough cooling in hotter, poorer cities where it's needed the most as the world warms, a new study found.

When averaged out over all the world’s cities, tree cover — by giving shade and releasing water vapor — cools an average of 0.27 degrees Fahrenheit (0.15 degrees Celsius), according to a study in Wednesday’s Nature Communications.

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