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We’ve had more than 35,000 people involved over the past three years, with their impact having a positive effect on the health of our cities. Are you ready to join our 2026 challenge?!
Bupa’s Healthy Cities challenge is a global four-week challenge that is fun and easy. Its simple goal is the more movement, the more trees that will be planted to make our cities greener and healthier.
Our collective steps unlocked additional investment in nature regeneration taking the total investment to
Healthy Cities is a global initiative by Bupa that raises awareness about the connection between the health of people and the health of the planet.
It also encourages people to adopt sustainable and healthy lifestyles while supporting urban nature regeneration through the annual Healthy Cities challenge.
Our global ambition is to support 1 million people to have improved health and wellbeing by the end of 2025 through the Healthy Cities program.
Bupa’s commitment to sustainability starts with our purpose: Helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. 
As a global healthcare company, we’ve been looking after people’s health for 75 years. At Bupa, we know that to look after people's health, we need to look after the health of our planet.
We also know that delivering healthcare has an environmental impact. As a healthcare company we have a responsibility to take action to reduce that impact. An important part of Bupa’s commitment as a healthcare company is to improve the health of our people and our planet through the restoration and regeneration of nature.
The majority of the world’s population live in cities, and climate change is having a significant impact in cities through increased air pollution and the increased frequency of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and flooding.
Through the Healthy Cities program, we are reimagining the way our cities can better promote and support people’s health in a changing climate.
Participating in the Healthy Cities challenge will support your wellbeing while supporting the health of the planet at the same time.
We’ve planted more than 578K+ native plants and trees over the past three years with support from our partners, Landcare Australia and Trees that Count.
See the full list of Healthy Cities challenge winners.
View winnersThere are direct health benefits associated with physical activity. A World Health Organization (WHO) report shows that even walking for 30 minutes or cycling for 20 minutes on most days can improve your health. Active commuting, like cycling or walking to work, is associated with around a 10% decrease in risk for cardiovascular disease and a 30% decrease in type 2 diabetes risk.
There may be indirect benefits from participating in the challenge. Bupa’s commitment to nature regeneration and restoration in and around our cities will also support the health and wellbeing of people who live in and around cities.
Trees and green spaces also have important benefits for human health in urban environments. Research has demonstrated the positive impact of trees and green spaces on physical and mental health, as well as overall social wellbeing.
We know that climate change can seem overwhelming and make individuals feel powerless to take action. The Healthy Cities challenge provides an opportunity for people to take action for their own health AND have a positive impact on the environment. When people invest in their physical health through participation in the Healthy Cities challenge, Bupa will match that with an investment in nature regeneration.
It is simple, the more people that invest in their own health during the challenge by being physically active, the more Bupa will invest in nature regeneration.
For the Healthy Cities program in 2025, Bupa has already committed to providing funding of $800,000 for nature regeneration and restoration projects in and around our cities in Australia and New Zealand. In addition to this, more funding for nature regeneration and restoration projects will be unlocked for every 1 billion steps recorded in the 2025 Healthy Cities challenge.
For every billion steps achieved, funding of $70,000 will be unlocked for planting native trees and plants in Australia (up to a maximum of $210,000).
For example, if the collective step count reaches 1 billion steps, $70,000 will be unlocked. If the collective step count reaches 2 billion steps, another $70,000 will be unlocked – taking the total of additional funding unlocked to $140,000.
A World Health Organization (WHO) report acknowledges the critical role of green spaces and natural environments in promoting human health. Trees and green spaces offer significant environmental advantages, including enhanced air quality, mitigation of the urban heat island effect, reduced energy consumption, carbon sequestration, and improved water management. These elements are essential components of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in urban areas.
A separate WHO report also outlines that exposure to trees and green spaces is associated with improved mental health, reduced stress levels, decreased loneliness, lower all-cause mortality, and reduced rates of obesity and some chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Bupa has partnered with Landcare Australia and Trees That Count in New Zealand to provide funding to local groups for nature regeneration and restoration projects as part of the Healthy Cities program.
The native trees and plants planted for the Healthy Cities program are planted at locations in and around our cities.
You can see a list of the projects funded on the Landcare Australia website and Trees That Count websites.