Auckland once again recognised as a Tree City of the World

Auckland has been recognised as a Tree City of the World, for a seventh consecutive year.

Trees are an important part of the identity of Tāmaki Makaurau and its natural heritage, where they help shape the fabric of the landscape.

Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbour Day Foundation, praised Auckland’s efforts to use trees to enhance the city.

“We are excited to recognise Auckland as a Tree City of the World again this year.”

“Trees have never been more important than they are today, and Auckland Council continues to ensure it is creating a healthier, cooler and safer city through its urban forestry work. Auckland is a model for cities worldwide.”

The Arbor Day Foundation is the world’s largest nonprofit membership organisation dedicated to planting trees. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Both organisations came together in 2019 to found Tree Cities of the World. The programme is a global effort to recognise cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are properly maintained, sustainably managed, and duly celebrated.

To earn Tree Cities of the World recognition, Auckland Council demonstrated its commitment by meeting five programme standards: establish responsibility for the care of trees, set rules to govern the management of forests and trees, maintain an updated inventory or assessment of local tree resources, allocate resources for a tree management plan, and hold an annual celebration of trees to educate residents.

Trees on Queen St in central Auckland.

Auckland’s Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy aims to increase average regional tree canopy cover from 18.3 per cent to 30 per cent across the urban area by 2050, with no local board area below 15 per cent. The strategy’s implementation actions are grouped under three themes – Knowing, Growing, and Protecting – guiding how Auckland understands, expands, and safeguards its urban forest.

Auckland is one of more than 280 cities around the world recognised as a Tree City of the World.

In 2025, Auckland Council planted approximately 480,000 trees and plants across the region and 20 hectares were planted under the Urban Ngahere Programme.

Tree planting across the region is supported by several funding streams, including the Long-term Plan, the Climate Action Targeted Rate, and locally-driven initiatives funding allocated by local boards.

A new planting on a berm on an urban Auckland street.

Since the Urban Ngahere strategy’s inception in 2018 approximately 2000 large grade street trees have been planted annually in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Auckland Council facilitates tree planting events as part of ecology volunteer programmes to help boost tree numbers in the city. Mana whenua, schools, volunteers, and community groups plant around 60,000 smaller trees, shrubs and plants each year in local parks and around 300,000 in regional parks, contributing to the annual total number of trees planted across the region.

Community organisations such as the Kaipātiki Project, Whau River Catchment Trust, and Motutapu Restoration Trust are among the many groups that coordinate volunteer planting and habitat restoration across the region.

Seventeen of Auckland’s 21 local boards have adopted local urban ngahere action plans that support the goal of increasing tree canopy cover in road corridors, parks and open spaces and support the prioritisation of locations with low tree canopy for future planting.

Eli Nathan, acting General Manager of Parks and Community Facilities acknowledges the important role volunteers play in planting trees on public land across the region.

“Tree City of the World recognition for Auckland for a seventh year in a row is validation that our Urban Ngahere programme is having tangible positive impacts for Aucklanders.

“With the help of volunteers and the many hours of mahi they put in with spades in hand, we look forward to planting more trees across Tāmaki Makaurau to make the region greener and even more liveable.”

Tree planting is currently happening in Auckland. The winter planting season in Upper Harbour will see 9,000 natives planted across 21 community and school led events in local parks.

In winter last year close to 8,000 native plants were put in the ground through community-led planting efforts across 24 reserves throughout the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board area.