Liberal Democrat leader will plant a tree in Hampstead
today (Saturday 16 November), as the party announces ambitious
proposals to undertake the largest tree-planting programme in UK
history. A Liberal Democrat government will plant 60 million
trees every year, increasing UK forest cover by 1 million
hectares by 2045.
Just 13% of the UK is currently covered by woodland, far below
the European Union average of 35%. The Conservatives have
woefully failed to meet their own targets for planting trees in
the past year. Only 1,420 hectares of trees were planted in
England in the year to March 2019, 71% short of the Conservative
government’s target of 5,000 hectares for the same period.
Planting trees is one of the most viable ways of removing carbon
from the atmosphere and is vital for achieving net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative will be a key part of
the Liberal Democrat party's plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse
gas emissions by 2045 and to halve emissions by 2030 compared to
today.
Reforesting will have other benefits such as helping reverse our
declining biodiversity, reducing air pollution and improving
public spaces. It will also increase use of timber products in
construction, which capture carbon and reduce construction
emissions.
, Liberal Democrat Leader said:
“The climate emergency is destroying our natural environment and
threatening our children’s futures. We will tackle the climate
emergency by taking bold action to rapidly reduce carbon
emissions as quickly as possible, and achieving net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
“Our plan includes the largest tree-planting programme in UK
history, which will green our towns and countryside to absorb
damaging emissions. This will help us reach net-zero emissions,
and will nurture biodiversity, combat air pollution and improve
public spaces.
“It’s clear that the Conservative Party doesn’t take climate
change seriously. Only the Liberal Democrats have a radical plan
to make a real impact in the fight against climate change and
build a brighter future for our planet.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The UK is one of the least densely forested countries in
Europe with only 13% of the country covered in woodland, compared
to the European average of 35%.
- Tree planting has fallen significantly over the years, from
nearly 30,000 ha/year (hectares per year) in the late 1980s to
less than 7,000 ha/year in 2017.
- Liberal Democrats are pledging to spend £6 billion over the
next parliament to increase tree planting levels to 40,000
ha/year (approximately 60 million trees per year) and to help
fund the restoration of other natural carbon sinks, such as
peatlands.
- The trees will go all over our country – supporting major
afforestation initiatives like the Northern Forest, but also
urban trees in our towns and cities as well as incentivising
farmers to plant trees on their farms.
- 'Tree-planting in England falls 71% short of government
target' - June 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/13/tree-planting-in-england-falls-72-short-of-government-target
