𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Green spaces are saving the NHS £148 million a year in GP visits alone, research has suggested. This is enough to pay the salaries of more than 3,500 nurses, the Horticultural Trade Association (HTA) said. Fran Barnes, chief executive of the HTA, said: “Green spaces quietly work for us every day. They cool our towns and cities during heatwaves, absorb rainwater during storms, improve air quality, support wildlife and help keep us physically and mentally healthy. Yet they are too often treated as an optional extra rather than the essential infrastructure they are.

“As the government plans new homes, invests in infrastructure and prepares for a changing climate, green spaces must be built into those decisions from the start, not added as an afterthought. Investing in green infrastructure is investing in healthier people, stronger communities and a more resilient UK.”

One street tree provides the cooling equivalent of 10 air-conditioning units, the research showed.

Their report calls for more cooling in urban areas following more than 2,700 excess heat-related deaths during May and June 2026.

It comes as drought, heatwaves and wildfires have overtaken floods and storms in people’s minds as the “most pressing” climate impacts for the UK, polling shows.

A second extreme hot, dry summer in a row, with widespread drought, multiple heatwaves, blazes across the country, and hosepipe bans for millions, has thrust those issues high in the public consciousness.

Four fifths (80%) supported investment in parks, ponds and trees to provide shade and cooling in hot weather, according to the polling by Savanta for Climate Barometer – which tracks public opinion on climate change, while just 3% disagreed with such a move.

But while nearly three quarters (74%) said they had experienced extreme heat, just one in seven (14%) said they had noticed measures to tackle heatwaves such as planting more trees in cities, shaded areas in public places or shutters being installed on buildings.

A similar proportion (13%) said they had seen new or upgraded parks and ponds.

Dr Niall McLoughlin, impacts and adaptation lead at Climate Barometer, said: “Summer heat used to be something we looked forward to in the UK – now it’s something many of us dread.

“With extreme heat, drought and wildfires now seen as the ‘most pressing’ climate impacts, it’s clear that this summer has had a profound effect on the British public’s concerns.

He added: “There are lots of ways to beat the heat, but there’s one clear route forward that has little friction: nature-based shading and cooling.”