There are many projects whose objective is to diminish the “grey” aspect of the city. The Tree Planting Program of the Secretariat for Green and Environment cultivated 185,164 trees in 2008, homogeneously distributed throughout the city.

Besides contributing to the thermal balance of the region, trees absorb carbon and mitigate the greenhouse effect. It is estimated that one single tree absorbs 180 kilos of carbon during its growth process. Based on these data, it is possible to estimate that 18,000 tons of carbon will be absorbed by the trees planted in 2006 only.

Due to the implementation of environmental education programs that were developed simultaneously to the project, it is hoped that the communities contribute to the new trees preservation and also avoid vandalism, one of the main problems faced by the project. In some areas the damaged seedling rate may reach 50%.

The Project 100 Parks to Sao Paulo is another initiative that will considerably contribute to the increase of green areas in the city. Sao Paulo city had, up to 2005, only 32 parks for an 11 million population. Since the project was conceived in 2005, 43 new parks were delivered and another 23 are being built. The objective is to have 100 parks by 2012, when Sao Paulo city will have more than 50 million square meters of green and leisure areas.