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Berlin plants a million trees: MPs vote for green law!
Berlin is planning a million new street trees by 2040. A law initiated by the citizens' initiative “BaumEntscheid” will be voted on today in the House of Representatives.
Berlin plants a million trees: MPs vote for green law!
A decisive step towards greening Berlin is imminent: On Monday, November 3, 2025, members of the Berlin Parliament will vote on a groundbreaking law that aims to plant over one million new street trees in the city by 2040. The draft law, which was initiated by the citizens' initiative “BaumEntscheid”, aims to significantly improve the quality of life of Berliners in an increasingly heat-stricken city. Informed about this rbb24.
It's not an easy undertaking: Berlin already has around 440,000 city trees, but the trend is declining. Over half of these trees suffer from disease or other problems. In 2024, 5,280 street trees were felled, while only 2,571 were replanted. Critical voices can also be heard; The implementation of the law is expected to cost around 3.2 billion euros, with financial resources planned to come from a special federal government fund.
Climate adaptation and future vision
The main aim of the new law is to cool down the city center of Berlin by at least two degrees Celsius in 170 so-called “heat districts”. “This is an important step in the right direction,” emphasizes Heinrich Strößenreuther from the CDU, one of the co-initiators of this initiative. Another aspect of the law envisages the creation of 1,000 cold islands and 100 new mini-parks, which, together with the new trees, are intended to help improve Berlin's urban climate.
The citizens' initiative “BaumEntscheid” was founded in 2024 and campaigned intensively for the referendum, collecting over 33,000 signatures. The adoption of the law will make the planned referendum obsolete. An independent monitoring board will monitor the implementation of the law to ensure that the agreed objectives are achieved.
The challenges of implementation
Despite the widespread support from government factions such as the CDU and SPD, there are also critical voices. The high cost issue until 2040 is being discussed not only by experts, but also by parts of the population. It is also questioned how realistic the planned plantings are in the existing urban environment.
It appears that the special session is necessary to meet legal deadlines; a regular plenary session on Thursday would be too late for that. The decision, which MPs largely support unanimously, could lay the foundation for a greener and more livable Berlin - a plan that can make a crucial difference in the hectic cities we live in every day.