Cities, pollution and climate change: to what extent can green infrastructure help?

Cities, pollution and climate change: to what extent can green infrastructure help?

"la Caixa” Social Observatory Award for the best article in the field of Science

By Francesc Baró, postdoctoral researcher at ICTA-UAB

This review was originally published at “la Caixa” Social Observatory”

The available evidence indicates that urban green infrastructure (urban parks, street trees, green roofs and walls, etc.) can make a modest contribution to remedying carbon emissions, reducing heat stress and lowering atmospheric pollution in cities. If we wish to solve these problems, we need to take action on pollution sources because compensatory measures based on nature are far from sufficient. Urban green infrastructure strategies can play a role by complementing, but not replacing, pollution reduction strategies.