Eco-friendly gardeners should be given a cut in their council tax, scientists have recommended, as research shows cities may have lost as much as 50% of their green garden space over the past two decades.

Paving over gardens and using plastic grass has become a trend in recent years, which contributes to flooding, rising urban temperatures and biodiversity decline.

Now, research from the University of Sheffield has suggested policymakers should offer incentives such as council tax or water bill discounts to encourage gardeners to use environmentally sensitive techniques to help combat climate breakdown and boost communities’ health and wellbeing.

Prof Ross Cameron, an expert in landscape horticulture at the University of Sheffield and the author of the paper published in the journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, suggests financial incentives should be given to gardeners who ensure the area around their home is well-stocked with plants.

Covered in the Guardian