Rewards worth the challenge of UK’s bold tree-planting targets: The Yorkshire Post says

The UK is one of the least forested countries in Europe, with just 13 per cent of England, compared with 31 per cent of France and 37 per cent of Spain. Furthermore, more than 40 per cent of England’s woods are not actively managed.

One of the people leading the charge to improve matters is North Yorkshire’s Sir William Worsley, who has recently been appointed as the new chairman of the Forestry Commission.

His new role comes on the back of the Committee on Climate Change, the government’s statutory adviser, recommending 30,000 hectares of woodland should be planted annually, more than double the new trees planted in 2018 to 2019.

Sir William does not shirk from the scale of the challenge - noting a need to increase the number of skilled forestry workers capable of managing new woodland as well as identifying suitable land to plant trees on; something that will require the right incentives for landowners and farmers.

The work is part of a push towards the UK reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and as such, Sir William is right to insist that new trees must not be imported but instead grown in British nurseries to meet the demand.

The short-term challenge is undoubtedly great but the potential long-term rewards are even greater; the creation of a greener country in every sense for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. 

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