MPs have found that the government has met less than half of its annual tree-planting target in England, putting net zero ambitions at risk.
Recall that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) this year published what it called “ambitious” nature targets, a requirement under the Environment Act, including the goal of planting 30,000 hectares of woodland by March 2025.
A report by the environmental audit committee (EAC) of cross-party MPs has found that this target was unlikely to be met.
The report found that there was not enough direction from the government for the private sector, which faces “unclear strategies and overly bureaucratic schemes”.
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According to reports, tree planting is crucial for meeting carbon and biodiversity targets, as well as for sustainability in the building industry.
The EAC report further stated that UK-sourced timber will help meet the growing demand for low-carbon construction materials.
It adds that a significant expansion of woodland cover is required to compensate for predicted shortfalls in the supply of domestically produced softwood timber and to deliver the UK’s climate and environment goals. At present, the rate of planting is less than half of the government’s target.
Furthermore, the report recommends that the government focus on tree planting for its upcoming and delayed land use framework, which is supposed to be a blueprint for how land is allocated in the UK.
The Defra minister Mark Spencer recently hinted that it would be watered down, saying it would not be a “communist” document telling landowners what to do with their estates.
The wrong species being planted could also be a disaster for nature, the report says, recommending that native broadleaves offer ideal habitats for nature, while conifers supply softwood for timber use. The committee found this balance was unlikely to be struck, as the UK Forestry Standard is not routinely monitored and Forestry England lacks the resource to do this.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
