Thank you for contacting me about woods and trees.
Our England Trees Action Plan has kickstarted tree planting across England, funded by over £675 million of the Nature for Climate Fund, is transforming England’s tree planting and woodland management. We have set a statutory target to increase tree canopy and woodland cover of England to 16.5 per cent by2050.
Last year, over 3,600 hectares of trees were planted (4.7 million trees)–the highest planting rate for nearly a decade–a massive boost to a sector that employs over 33,000 people across the UK. 15 million trees have been planted since 2020–representing significant progress in achieving our targets and we have a strong pipeline for the next few years.
In our manifesto, we set out further ambitious plan to plant more trees, including delivering our tree planting and peatland commitments through our Nature for Climate funding; launching a new design competition for urban greening; cutting red tape that holds back the planting of trees in the planning system; and delivering our commitment at COP28 to introduce forest risk commodities legislation early in the next Parliament. The value of trees to people and nature has never been clearer. They are vital for our health and security, and we cannot do without them.
We remain determined to ensure we continue to push forward with this important work and leave the environment in a better state than we found it for future generations.