Who doesn’t like a walk in the woods, well if the government plans announced today come true, there will be plenty of trees to navigate.
All four delvolved nations’ forestry ministers have commited to a new Tree Planting Taskforce which aims to plant millions more trees as part of the net zero target.
The UK has less tree cover than almost anywhere in Europe and more work is needed to close this gap.
The Taskforce is designed to strengthen collaborative working across the UK, identifying opportunities to work together, to improve tree planting and ensure the long-term survival of woodland, safeguarding their benefits for future generations.
Forestry Minister Mary Creagh said: “Trees deliver huge social, environmental and economic benefits – from absorbing carbon dioxide, cooling our cities, improving wellbeing and helping reduce NHS costs, while a thriving forestry sector supports green jobs and drives economic growth.
Richard Stanford, Chair of the Forestry Commission added: “There has never been a more crucial time to take action to increase and improve the number of trees, woods and forests growing across the UK for future years. It is vital that our four nations unite and work in partnership on this mission.”
Over a century the average tree in the UK absorbs a tonne of carbon.
