Woodland Trust welcomes Budget Nature for Climate Fund investment
Responding to today's Budget, it is hugely important that new infrastructure projects are well designed and protect the natural environment, says the Woodland Trust.
Darren Moorcroft, Chief Executive, Woodland Trust said: “The Woodland Trust welcomes the Nature for Climate Fund investment in tree and woods as outlined in the budget. We don’t have the time, money and resources to tackle to nature and climate crises separately so it’s essential that this doesn’t focus on carbon alone. We want to see high ambition with regard to quality and quantity of new woodland, getting to 10,000 hectares of new woodland a year as quickly as possible.
“We were pleased to see reference to protection and restoration of our woodlands in the Chancellor’s speech. If the Government is genuine about this, it is hugely important that new infrastructure projects are well designed and protect the natural environment. The HS2 rail project threatens so many irreplaceable ancient woodland habitats and clearly demonstrates the impact of poor design.
“Funding projects including the Northern Forest – led by the Woodland Trust and the Community Forests - will also enable us to extend the many key benefits this will bring to the region including tackling climate change, public access, aid flood management, carbon sequestration and in tackling nature decline.’’
