- Trees and improved woodland management are key in both
adapting to climate change and reaching UK Government goal of Net
Zero by 2050.
- New online Climate Change Hub centralises information on
forestry and climate change adaptation.
- The Hub features UK Forestry Standard guidance and includes
fact sheets, videos and case studies to ensure our woodlands are
fit for the future
The Climate Change Hub - which centralises the latest resources,
information and guidance on climate change adaptation to support
landowners, woodland managers and forestry practitioners in
addressing climate change threats – was launched by Defra, Forest
Research, Scottish Forestry and Welsh Government today (Monday 20
February).
The projected rate of climate change is unprecedented, from
warmer summers to more frequent extreme conditions such as
drought periods and heavy rainfall events. Action is needed now
to improve the resilience of forests and woodlands, and to
protect the benefits that they provide, including carbon
sequestration.
The Climate Change Hub, managed by Forest Research, centralises
and distils the latest information and UKFS (United Kingdom
Forestry Standard) guidance on climate change adaptation to
encourage uptake of adaptive practice by forest and woodland
owners and managers. It provides concise information about risks
from the changing climate, how to identify suitable adaptation
measures and examples of how other managers are implementing
adaptive practice.
There is no single recommended approach to climate change
adaptation, as each woodland has different objectives and
conditions. To enable managers to make informed decisions for
their own woodlands, the Climate Change Hub also includes
detailed guidance through the decision-making process,
step-by-step, including information about the online tools
available to support risk management and species choice.
Forestry Minister said:
“Trees and tree management are crucial parts of our plan to reach
Net Zero by 2050, and resources such as the Climate Change Hub
support the forest industry to make better, more informed and
ultimately more sustainable decisions when it comes to tree
planting and woodland management.”
Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said:
“Climate change will affect our trees, wood and forests. We
need to ensure that our management practices ensure they thrive
for the long term to ensure all the benefits they provide are
maximised. Trees are a critical part of our endeavours to
tackle climate change; trees are the most efficient and
cost-effective method of capturing carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere. The Climate Change Hub will allow all of us to see
this critical information in one place for the first time,
enabling land managers and foresters to make the best decisions
for our planet on tree and forest management.”
Scottish Forestry’s Chief Executive Dave Signorini said:
“I’m excited to launch the new Climate Change Hub - a one-stop
shop for resources on protecting woodland and forests from the
risks of climate change. Trees have a significant role in climate
change adaptation and resilience, providing habitats for
wildlife, reducing flooding, and absorbing carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere, and we want to help people understand how best to
achieve that.
“The new Climate Change Hub will help empower the forestry sector
here in Scotland to sustainably manage woodland and forests to
deliver benefits for our environment, economy and communities.”
Wales’ Minister for Climate Change, , said:
“This project will provide up-to-date research and guidance that
will help the forestry sector and woodland planners plant and
manage woodland in a flexible way.
“It’s another key project that will help us in Wales meet our Net
Zero commitments and I look forward to seeing how it progresses.”
Woodland owners are encouraged to plant and manage more diverse
and resilient woodlands of varying ages and species in the face
of climate change. To counter future extreme weather risks from
severe storms to drought, forests and woodlands should have a
broad range of trees at different ages, from seedlings to trees
to vary the size of our trees. Larger, more mature trees are more
susceptible to severe winds than younger trees, so promoting the
growth of trees of varying ages helps to strengthen their
collective resilience.
The Climate Change Hub supports the government’s wider Net Zero
strategy and follows commitments set out within the recently
published Environmental Improvement Plan to improve our
mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
- The Climate Change Hub can be found online here.
- The Climate Change Hub is endorsed by the Forestry and
Climate Change Partnership (https://forestryclimatechange.uk/),
a cross-sector body that seeks to represent a collective view
of the forestry and woodland sector on climate adaptation of
trees, woods and forests in England. It promotes measures which
enhance the adaptation of trees, woods and forests to climate
change and associated impacts. Members include the ICF, the
Woodland Trust and Natural England.
