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Copenhagen has approved funding for more than 23,000 new trees to be planted next year, as part of its quest to become the world's first carbon neutral capital city.

The city council has earmarked 3.7 million kroner ($560,000; £360,000) of its 2016 budget to the project, . Its long-term goal is to plant 100,000 new trees in the Danish capital over the next decade, partly to improve air quality as the population increases. "Every year 10,000 new people move to Copenhagen and that puts pressure on the green areas," Tommy Petersen of the Liberal Party , adding that he believes it's money well spent.

The aim is to create a forest in the city centre, the paper says. Among the trees to be planted next year, the council says 400 will be "partnership trees" selected by the public. Locals will also get a say over where they are planted.

Copenhagen first launched its carbon neutral scheme in 2009 as host of the UN Climate Change Conference. It has already undertaken a range of initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions, including replacing thousands of its old street lamps and replacing them with more energy efficient lighting.

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