UK Falls Short on Tree Planting: Isle of Wight’s Worth

Welcome, Net Zero News readers,

As we navigate the critical path towards a sustainable future, it is disheartening to report that the UK has fallen significantly short of its tree-planting goals, leaving a forest area equivalent to the size of the Isle of Wight unplanted since 2020. This alarming revelation comes from a recent analysis by Carbon Brief, which underscores the urgent need for action in the face of escalating climate challenges.

The latest data from Forest Research reveals a stark reality: only 15,700 hectares of trees were planted across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in the past year. This figure represents a mere half of the ambitious annual target of 30,000 hectares set by the previous Conservative government, aimed at reversing the tide of climate change by 2025.

In the aftermath of the 2019 general election, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) laid out a comprehensive trajectory for tree-planting in England, detailing expectations from 2020 to 2025. However, it is essential to note that tree-planting is a devolved issue, with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland establishing their own annual targets. Collectively, these nations have repeatedly missed their goals, resulting in a cumulative shortfall of 36,429 hectares of unplanted forest over the past five years. To put this in perspective, this gap translates to an area nearly the size of the Isle of Wight.

Sadly, this deficit has only widened since last year, when Carbon Brief’s analysis indicated that the missed targets could be likened to a “Birmingham-sized” forest—22,129 hectares of unplanted land. Scotland, as the leading region for tree-planting efforts, has contributed the most to this shortfall. Just prior to the release of the latest figures, government advisors at the Climate Change Committee (CCC) noted the UK’s “highest planting rate in two decades” for 2023-24. However, they expressed concerns that recent funding cuts for woodland creation in Scotland could jeopardise this positive trend.

As anticipated by the CCC, Scotland witnessed a significant drop in tree-planting rates, with only 8,470 hectares planted in 2024-25, a stark decline from 15,040 hectares the previous year. Scotland’s initial target for the year had been set at 18,000 hectares, but this was reduced to 10,000 following a staggering 41% cut to forestry grants.

Despite a steady increase in tree-planting rates across the other nations, they too have failed to meet their internal goals. Although the overarching goal of planting 30,000 hectares annually has not been formally abandoned, the new Labour government did not explicitly mention it in the lead-up to their election victory last year. Instead, their commitment focused on establishing three new national forests in England and planting millions of trees to create new woodlands.

Since assuming power, Labour has launched a tree-planting “taskforce” aimed at meeting a legally binding target of raising England’s tree cover to 16.5% by 2050. This initiative follows repeated warnings from industry experts and independent analysts during the previous government’s tenure, indicating that the 30,000-hectare target was slipping out of reach.

In light of these developments, the CCC has urged the new Labour government to act swiftly to achieve the goal. Earlier in 2025, the committee stressed the necessity for tree-planting to more than double to 37,000 hectares per year by 2030, a crucial step to remain on track for the UK’s net-zero target.

The importance of this target cannot be overstated; trees play an essential role in absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and balancing out emissions from sectors that cannot fully decarbonise by the 2050 net-zero deadline, according to the CCC. Notably, around two-thirds of the trees planted last year were broadleaves rather than conifers, which typically grow faster and absorb more CO2 in the short term. This shift is likely attributed to the decline in tree-planting in Scotland, home to the majority of the UK’s commercial conifer plantations.

It is crucial to understand the methodology behind these assessments. This article serves as an update to a previous Carbon Brief analysis published ahead of last year’s general election, which evaluated the progress made towards tree-planting goals across the UK and its devolved administrations. During the 2019 election campaign, the Conservatives pledged to establish a UK-wide goal of creating 30,000 hectares of new woodland annually by the end of parliament, which was slated for 2024-25. The annual tree-planting figures are reported for the period spanning from 1 April in one year to 31 March in the following year.

In terms of specifics, England had a planned trajectory set forth by Defra, while Scotland established annual tree-planting goals, Wales aimed for “at least” 2,000 hectares per year from 2020, and Northern Ireland outlined annual targets within its “forest service business plans”. For the final year, Carbon Brief compared the 2024-25 tree-planting rates recorded in Forest Research data to the overarching UK-wide target of 30,000 hectares. For the preceding four years, the analysis compared these rates with the combined annual targets set by the devolved administrations.

In conclusion, as we reflect on these sobering statistics, it is imperative for the UK government and its devolved administrations to renew their commitment to tree-planting initiatives. The path towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 is fraught with challenges, but with concerted efforts, innovative solutions, and a steadfast dedication to our natural environment, we can still turn the tide. The clock is ticking, and the time for action is now. Let us rally together as champions of net zero and ensure that future generations inherit a thriving planet.