Ambitious plans for a new ‘urban forest’ to help tackle climate change have been unveiled.

The project will see 10 trees being planted for every man, woman and child in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire over the next decade.

It lies at the heart of the new Clyde Climate Forest, which is part of the Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network.

Eight council areas that make up the Glasgow City Region are involved, with Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire joining Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire in issuing the planting pledge.

Among the sites to benefit from new trees are Cowan Park, in Barrhead, and Barwood Park, in Erskine.

Councillor Tony Buchanan, leader of East Renfrewshire Council and chair of the Infrastructure and Assets Portfolio for Glasgow City Region, said: “Trees are nature’s own green lungs, improving the air that we breathe and soaking up harmful CO2 emissions.

“I am delighted a new community woodland has been created at Cowan Park, with 2,500 trees planted as part of the Clyde Climate Forest project.

“As well as creating a fantastic new space for nature within the park, this initiative contributes to our ambitions to reduce our carbon footprint and help tackle climate change.”

Councillor Iain Nicolson, leader of Renfrewshire Council, added: “Planting millions of trees across the City Region will be a huge boost in our drive to tackle climate change and make a tangible difference to the environment.

“We’ve set ourselves the ambitious target of becoming net-zero following the declaration of a climate emergency in Renfrewshire, so I’m delighted to support the Clyde Climate Forest initiative as one of many projects we will bring forward in the coming years.”