Prague became the European forest city

Prague received the European Forest City Award 2021 from representatives of the European Forest Institute as part of a ceremony organized online due to epidemic measures. This award is given each year to a city that has demonstrably contributed to the maintenance and expansion of its forest fund and care for the environment. Representatives of the City Hall accepted the award on Tuesday.

“I really appreciate the ‘Prague – City of the Forest’ award. It confirms that we are on the right path and that we are succeeding in fulfilling our promise – to plant one million trees in eight years. In the area of tree planting and care for the environment, we must continue to be ambitious and proactive, “

says Prague’s Mayor Zdeněk Hřib.

Within the framework of the accepted climate commitments, Prague is increasingly taking the necessary concrete steps to mitigate climate change. Its 2030 Climate Plan, which was recently approved by the city councillors, outlines 69 concrete actions, projects and opportunities to meet the climate commitment. The plan seeks to decrease CO2 emissions by a minimum of 45% by 2030, compared to 2010 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition to this, the City of Prague has set up a Commission for Sustainable Energy and Climate and it strongly supports the European Green Deal.

These climate commitments provide a significant opportunity for the city itself, urban organizations and the private sector. The City of Prague has already planted 370,000 trees and is continuing to do so. The public can also take part in the planting events planned for this autumn – more information can be found on the website ZastromujPrahu.cz.

“Trees in the city have an irreplaceable role, especially for the city’s adaptation to climate change. In the place where trees grow, they create a more comfortable microclimate, both by providing shade that lowers the sensory temperature and by evaporating water and thereby cooling the environment as a natural air conditioner and cleaning the air from pollutants at the same time. Forests and parks thus play an irreplaceable role in the daily life of Praguers. That is why we have a plan to plant a million trees and the Climate Plan of the capital. The City of Prague has other ambitious goals in the area of adaptation. We also focus on the care of trees and greenery, which is already in the city, “

adds Deputy Mayor Petr Hlubuček.

The European Forest Institute is an international organisation, established by 29 European States. The institute brings together representatives from forest research, industry, forest owners and international organizations caring for forests.