Government planting less than half its target of trees, say MPs
The government is planting less than half of its annual target of trees, raising concerns about how it will meet its nature recovery and timber construction goals, MPs have said.
The Environmental Audit Committee said it welcomes the Government’s targets but that it is “very unlikely” it will meet them, with only two autumn-spring planting seasons left before a March 2025 deadline.
Woodland restoration is seen as critical for improving natural habitats as well as using more home-grown timber for construction, but at present the rate of planting is less than half of the what is required to achieve 30,000 hectares by March 2025, the committee said.
Forestry England, the Government agency responsible for managing the public forest estate in England, has only planted 303 hectares out of the intended 2,000 between 2021 and 2026.
It means the UK will be more reliant on importing foreign timber with the committee concerned that this will have a negative impact on ecological systems abroad.
The committee said there was no single strategy that articulates the government’s vision for the timber sector, which is a more environmentally-friendly way of building houses, nor is there a clear plan to integrate that with a delivery on nature restoration and climate change mitigation.
Chair of the committee, Philip Dunne, said: “The construction industry is increasingly looking to move away from steel and concrete to lower carbon alternatives, and timber is well placed to step in. Increasing productive forestry is welcome, though the government must ensure that this isn’t at the expense of biodiversity.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it was committed to having 16.5 per cent of England’s total land area covered by woodland by 2050 but recognised there is “much more to do” to speed up planting.
A Defra spokesperson said: “Since the start of this Parliament, we have planted or supported the planting of over 10.8 million trees.
The committee said the government should create a holistic strategy for domestic timber growth that would incorporate the various goals together.
This would also help to give private sector planters and landowners as well as end-users of timber a clearer idea about what is happening given the competing demands for wood.
Danny Halpin – Press Association