The cooling effect of trees is well known, but no study has so far aimed to quantify how many premature deaths might be prevented through this ecosystem service. Global warming and the expansion of the built environment are expected to intensify the urban heat island (UHI) effect, and related adverse health impacts. These impacts occur not only in extreme heatwaves, but also during more frequent, moderate increases in air temperature. In this study, researchers analysed data on 93 European cities to estimate the number of lives that trees could save. Click here to read more