Less than half of annual tree-planting target in England met, say MPs

The committee’s chair, Philip Dunne, said the government’s numerous tree-planting strategies were disjointed and called for a holistic approach. Photograph: Ashley Cooper/Alamy

The government has met less than half of its annual tree-planting target in England, MPs have found, putting net zero ambitions at risk.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) this year published what it called “ambitious” nature targets, a requirement under the Environment Act, including the goal of planting 30,000 hectares of woodland by March 2025. A report by the environmental audit committee (EAC) of cross-party MPs has found that this target was unlikely to be met.