UEL leads drive to green Royal Docks with new trees

A major new initiative to bring more nature into the Royal Docks is taking root at the University of East London’s (UEL) Docklands Campus, as partners work to address health inequalities, lack of tree canopy cover, and limited access to green space.

Supported by the Urban Tree Challenge Fund, a government-backed programme that funds tree planting in urban areas to boost green cover, improve air quality and support healthier communities, the initiative is funding the planting of over a hundred new trees around the Royal Dock. The planting is helping to increase the tree canopy cover, creating more shady areas, and reconnecting local communities with nature.

Working with the London Borough of Newham and the Royal Docks Enterprise Team, UEL’s Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability and Sustainability Research Institute are leading efforts to expand green space and tackle environmental inequality across the Royal Docks. Tree planting has already begun in and around the university’s Docklands Campus, helping to improve local air quality, support biodiversity and create more welcoming spaces for students, staff and the wider community.

Despite rapid growth and regeneration, the Royal Docks has long lacked both tree cover and accessible green space. In a borough facing some of the highest levels of traffic-related air pollution in the country, this programme is a step towards reversing that - bringing more trees into the area to create healthier, more inviting streets and public spaces.

Professor Stuart Connop, Director of the Sustainability Research Institute at UEL, said, 

This project shows what success looks like when partners in the Royal Docks come together with a shared vision. By increasing tree cover, we are helping both nature and our local communities to be more adapted to climate change and resilient.”

Robert de Jong, Director of the Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, added,

Our ambition is simple but powerful: more trees, more nature, and better everyday environments for the people who live and work here. Building on the success of the Royal Docks Sustainability Network, this collaboration is a vital step towards a greener, more sustainable and more socially just Royal Docks.”

As planting continues, the partnership hopes the project will act as a catalyst for further investment in green infrastructure ensuring that, as the Royal Docks grows, it does so in a way that prioritises both people and planet.