Growing fears on Tory tree pledge
THE number of trees being planted in England will treble by 2024 – but critics warn it may still not be enough to tackle climate and nature crises.
The Government will pledge to increase planting rates from the current 5,800 acres a year to 17,300 by the end of this Parliament under an England trees action plan, due to be launched on Tuesday.
Environment Secretary George Eustice is expected to say: “We will make sure the right trees are planted in the right places.”
But campaigners say the
goal for England is less than a quarter of the Government’s target to plant 75,000 acres across the whole of the UK.
And they fear most of the trees will be non-native conifers – planted in Scotland – which they say do not deliver benefits for wildlife or the public.