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Tree planting targets are welcome
but the government must stop shying away from accountability
over hedgerows, peat and soils – it is time
for binding targets for nature-based
solutions to suck up carbon and restore the natural
environment
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In the race to net zero it is vital
to measure our progress but we can’t do that if we don’t have a
yardstick for success – that’s why targets, and accountability,
are crucial
The government
must explicitly set firm targets for a widespread
roll out of nature-based solutions to the climate
emergency. Otherwise, the opportunity to hit net zero
by 2050 will be wasted, says CPRE, the countryside
charity.
Ambitious tree planting targets to
increase woodland cover have been welcomed by
politicians, the public and environmental campaigners alike. It
is proof that the government understands the value of
being able to measure progress towards net zero. Now it must go
further, faster. That is why CPRE is calling on the UK
government to unleash the full power of nature in
halting climate breakdown.
Maddy Haughton-Boakes, campaigns manager at CPRE,
the countryside charity, who is in Glasgow for the COP26 climate
summit, said:
‘So far, our own government has
paid too little attention to the full range of nature-based
solutions to the climate emergency. This seriously threatens the
effectiveness of the steps they are taking, like tree planting.
We need to harness the power of all of our natural allies in the
fight against runaway climate change. With the right investment,
hedgerows, peat and soil could all play a
pivotal role in tackling the climate and nature
emergencies.
‘It is absolutely essential that
binding commitments are set for the restoration and rejuvenation
of our natural environment. As we have seen from the COP26
summit, the UK government is fully aware of the
power of setting clear, ambitious targets to reach net zero –
because that is precisely what it has just demanded of the rest
of the world. Now it’s time to hold itself to the
same standards. That is why we are calling on the government to
commit to restoring our hedgerows, peatlands and soils
– and to set clear targets so that progress can be
measured.’
Our hedgerow network needs to be
expanded by 40% by 2050, according to the Climate
Change Committee. Valued in their own right as an iconic
image of the countryside, hedgerows provide a dazzling array of
benefits to wildlife and biodiversity, help mitigate flooding and
air pollution, and consistently rank among the most popular
measures to tackle climate change – among public and politicians
alike. Restoring our hedgerows would create 25,000 jobs
and offer a return of £3.92 for every £1
invested.
The degradation of soils
and peatland needs to be halted by 2030
and sustainably managed going forward, to
meet the government’s own Sustainable Development
Goals. Properly managed peatland stores huge amounts of
carbon and water and provides a haven for plant and
wildlife. But unless they are restored and
rewetted emissions from UK peatland could cancel out
all carbon savings
from planting new, and enhancing existing, forests.
The widespread
use of industrial pesticides damages our soils and has devastated
insect populations, leading to real fears about being
able to pollinate the crops we eat if the decline
continues. Healthy soil is the foundation of our food
chain. All plants, trees and animals rely on a fertile
earth. Nature-based solutions to the climate crisis are
quite simply impossible to achieve unless we agree
to care for the ground upon which they grow. Damaged
soils have been shown to cost the economy £1.2bn per
year.
