UK Nature and Environment

In March 2020, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) launched the Forests for our Future programme. This initiative set an ambitious target: to plant 18 million trees and create 9,000 hectares of new woodland by 2030. This was in the context of the ongoing nature and climate crises and the important role of woodlands as nature-based solutions.

The programme supports woodland creation by providing grant aid to cover associated costs, with funding available through the Small Woodland Grant Scheme and the Forest Expansion Scheme.

This year marks the halfway point of the 10-year Forests for our Future programme. While woodland planting rates have increased since its launch, progress remains well below the level required to meet the 9,000 hectare target. To date, 2,016 hectares of new woodland have been created through the Small Woodland Grant Scheme and the Forest Expansion Scheme, less than a quarter of the overall goal at the programme’s midpoint. This shortfall highlights the urgent need for DAERA to accelerate delivery if the full ambition of the initiative is to be achieved.