Meeting tree planting targets on the UK's path to net-zero: A review of lessons learnt from 100 years of land use policies

Sally Westaway, Ian Grange, Jo Smith and Laurence G. Smith

Land Use Policy, 2023, vol. 125, issue C

Abstract: The UK government has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Ambitious targets have been set to plant nearly a million hectares of new woodland in the UK by 2050 to meet these net-zero commitments. More than 70% of UK’s land is used for agricultural production and to meet these targets the Climate Change Committee has estimated that by 2050 approximately 21% of agricultural land will be required for tree planting, agroforestry and the extension of farm hedges. Achieving this creates a potential conflict between land for food production and land for carbon sequestration. However, trees and woodlands, when integrated into farming systems, can be multifunctional and play a significant role in helping farmers adapt and become more resilient in the face of climate change.

Keywords: Afforestation; Agroforestry; Climate change; Woodland grants; Agri-environment schemes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:125:y:2023:i:c:s0264837722005294

DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2022.106502

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