UK Government committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022
The UK Government has committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022, in order to tackle climate change. Trees are a natural carbon sink which results in carbon sequestration. Other benefits of planting trees include preventing flood risk, soil conservation and an increase in biodiversity. Defra is encouraging farmers and landowners in England to plant more trees and create new woodland in return for payments as the trees grow.
The new Woodland Carbon Guarantee (WCaG) scheme offers participants a guarantee that the government will buy verified carbon credits, called Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs) at an agreed price. Under the scheme, land managers will have the ability to sell carbon credits on the open market or rely on the Government as a guaranteed buyer for carbon units at agreed dates (5 or 10 years over 35 years up to 2055/56 through an online reverse auction. Auctions will take place every six months for five years, beginning early next year. *Prism Ag notes that the only fruit species on the carbon calculator list at the present time appears to be Crab Apples*
Before applications can be made to the WCaG scheme, land managers need to register their project with the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC). This will provide information on how to plan the woodland and importantly will calculate how much carbon it will remove from the atmosphere. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/woodland-carbonguarantee and the application form for the WCaG scheme can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/woodland-carbon-guarantee-application-form