Government accused of failing to meet its own tree-planting targets

The government has been accused of failing to meet its own target on planting new trees to tackle the climate and nature crises, as statistics showed totals have stayed static.

Climate campaigners say low planting rates will make it harder to prevent flooding and support wildlife.

Boris Johnson promised during the 2019 general election that the government would plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland a year in Britain by 2025.

It followed calls by the government’s advisory Climate Change Committee for UK woodland cover to increase from 13 per cent of land to at least 17 per cent by 2050, to store carbon and meet the goal to reduce emissions to zero.

But last winter, only 13,800 hectares were planted, government figures reveal.

They also show tree-planting has been flatlining, with 13,700 hectares planted in 2019-20, and 13,300 hectares in 2020-21.

But the government insists it is still on course to meet the target of planting 30,000 a year “by the end of this parliament” in May 2024. It says that does not mean it has to plant 30,000 a year now.

When the announcement was made, it was widely interpreted as a pledge to plant 30,000 hectares every year until 2025.

Matt Williams, of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a non-profit organisation, said: “Trees slow down the flow of water, preventing flooding, and provide vital shade for livestock during very hot weather, as we saw earlier in the year.

“Other countries, even just over the border in Scotland, are able to restore their forests and woodlands, but England seems unable to do so.

“The government needs to consider why it keeps failing to meet the tree targets it is setting.”

Earlier this year, ministers were accused of overseeing a “total economic and environmental policy failure” on the slow rate of planting.

Farmers who plant more trees and provide other wildlife habitats are supposed to receive payments under government post-Brexit environmental land management contracts that offer “public money for public goods”.

But Liz Truss’s government has signalled it plans to rethink these schemes, sparking concern from environmental campaigners.

Scientists are also concerned about the spread of ash dieback disease.

Forestry Commission data this year showed only 36 per cent of woods designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England were in favourable condition.

Work to restore ancient woodland damaged by historic commercial forestry, where native trees were felled for conifer plantations, has declined.

Ministers say they are trebling tree planting rates to 7,000 hectares a year in England. Scotland’s tree-planting rates have been higher.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We increased tree planting and woodland creation last year, despite a challenging backdrop, and have put in place £675m of funding to help meet our ambitious UK-wide target of planting 30,000 hectares of new woodland annually from May 2024.”