Increasing tree cover to 30 % in European cities could reduce urban heat island deaths

Global warming and the expansion of the built environment are expected to intensify the urban heat island (UHI) effect and associated adverse health effects. A new study shows that increasing tree cover to 30 % would reduce temperatures by an average of 0.4°C, preventing about 1.8 % of all summer deaths in European cities and nearly 40 % deaths attributable to UHI effects.