The World Needs More Trees

But carbon offsetting is still not enough

4th December 2007

International research has backed expansion of woodland as a way to help tackle climate change has been welcomed by the Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity.

Academics have found that trees are absorbing carbon at more than twice the rate previously thought. This means that increased tree planting in 27 European counties has absorbed an extra 126 million tonnes of carbon between 1990 and 2005, the equivalent of 11 per cent of all European emissions.

Richard Smithers, the Trust's UK conservation adviser says, "We must stop de-forestation, and forest creation in Europe certainly has a role to play but there is still an urgent need for everyone to take all possible measures at personal, community, business and governmental levels to reduce emissions".

"New woodland cannot absorb more than a small proportion of total carbon emissions generated. To absorb the 150-160 million tonnes of carbon per year emitted from fossil fuels in the UK alone, more than 20 million hectares of forest would still need to be planted, even taking account of increased carbon absorption suggested in this report. That's more than the land mass of the UK."

"Compensating for carbon emissions through carbon offsets, such as through tree planting, should come last in any carbon reduction strategy. They should only be used to compensate for residual emissions, those which will inevitably occur even after reasonable steps have been taken to reduce emissions."

"We believe that offsets can be important in raising public and business awareness of climate change, however, prompting examination of how reductions can be made and making a small but genuine saving in carbon emissions."

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