Woodland Trust sets out ambitious aim to help tackle climate change

19 Oct 2020 02:12
Published by: Scott Callan

50 million trees in five years - the Woodland Trust sets out ambitious aim to help tackle climate change

- Woodland Trust launches Big Climate Fightback pledging to plant 50 million trees over the next five years

- More than 57,000 trees sent out to schools and community groups across the North West as it urges the public to get involved this autumn and join its bid to tackle climate change

- It announces a new pilot £1 million Emergency Tree Fund for local authorities to plant trees


The UK's largest woodland conservation charity is today (Monday, 19 October) announcing a pledge to plant 50 million trees by 2025 to help tackle climate change.

The Woodland Trust is sending some 57,480 free trees to 299 community groups and schools across the North West in the next few weeks (See notes to editors for county breakdown) and is backing up this commitment to tackling climate change with an initial Emergency Tree Fund of up to £1m to help local authorities plant trees and create woods.

In addition the charity is urging the nation to join with it by launching The Big Climate Fightback. It is calling on millions of people to plant trees throughout November - building support to sustain the biggest mass planting campaign the country has ever seen over the next few years.

Covid-hit 2020 has been a tough year for so many, not least in woodland conservation where UK tree planting is down (by 30 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to 2019) and with more challenges on communities to get out to plant in large numbers.


All this despite the desperate need for more trees in the ground to fight climate change. Last year the Government committed to plant 50 million trees each year until 2050 to achieve net zero carbon. Now is the time to turn words into action.

The Trust's CEO Darren Moorcroft wants the Trust to continue to lead by example and is urging others to also demonstrate their commitment with action.

Dr Moorcroft said:

"A year on from many big promises and statements about the need for more trees in order to achieve carbon net zero by 2050, they mainly remain just that, words.

"2019 saw the Woodland Trust plant more than four million trees. It was a great achievement but even that is well below what is needed in the UK to meet climate change targets.

"Today I outline our commitment to establish 50m trees by 2025 to achieve our ten year aim of a tree for everyone in the UK. This would more than double our most successful year ever and state our ambition to plant 10m trees a year to 2025 and further, 20 per cent of the entire UK yearly target as set out by the Government.

"Our new Emergency Tree Fund is another bold step to achieving our tree planting aim - by offering local authorities an opportunity to get on board and join The Big Climate Fightback. But we will require people from across all sections of society to help us achieve our ambition and today we start to mobilise that army.

"Our role in tackling the climate crisis won't rest - we know the clock is ticking and we must act now. Trees are nature's most powerful weapons in the fight against climate change. Together we can achieve remarkable things and I ask people today, please do your bit, join our climate change army, plant a tree in November, use your voice for trees and woods, support our cause and help us to continue our collective Big Climate Fightback."

The Emergency Tree Fund will be initially offered to 12 local authorities as part of a pilot and if successful could be rolled out further.

In the Big Climate Fightback 2020, which is supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery, people are urged to plant trees but if they can't do that then one of a series of actions, including lobbying their local politicians on green issues, donating money to the campaign, or sharing their support across social media platforms.
A host of celebrities have already given their backing for the BCF 2020 including Woodland Trust President and presenter Clive Anderson, JLS singer, presenter and farmer JB Gill, former Coronation Street actress Debra Stephenson and former Doctor Who actress Charity Wakefield.

Trees are seen as nature's answer to climate change - they soak up carbon dioxide and deliver oxygen.

For more on the Big Climate Fightback 2020, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/bigclimatefightback, follow the campaign online #BigClimateFightback

Our tree packs have been generously funded by lead partners Sainsbury's, Players of People's Postcode Lottery, Lloyds Bank, OVO Energy, Joules, Bank of Scotland and Sofology.

 

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