Reforestation

Offsetting Carbon Emissions - Tree Planting

Tree planting is often used to offset carbon emissions because trees absorb CO2 as they grow. However, it is much better to reduce carbon emissions in the first place rather than to offset them. Although tree planting can help to tackle climate change and protect biodiversity, planting the wrong trees in the wrong place can have adverse effects according to scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Botanic Gardens Conservation International. They have set out Ten Golden Rules and they held a virtual conference Reforestation for Biodiversity, Carbon Capture and Livelihoods from 24th to the 26th February 2021. The conference came before the important UN conferences (COP15 and COP26) on new global biodiversity and climate change agreements.

The Ten Golden Rules for Restoring Forests are set out in detail in a BBC article:

Protect existing forests first
Put local people at the heart of tree-planting projects
Maximise biodiversity recovery to meet multiple goals
Select the right area for reforestation
Use natural forest regrowth wherever possible
Select the right tree species that can maximise biodiversity
Make sure the trees are resilient to adapt to a changing climate
Plan ahead
Learn by doing
Make it pay

According to Dr Kate Hardwick, the Conservation Partnership Coordinator at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew: “Tree planting now dominates political and popular agendas and is often presented as an easy answer to the climate crisis, as well as a way for corporate companies to mitigate their carbon emissions, but sadly, it isn’t as simple as that. When people plant the wrong trees in the wrong place, it can cause considerably more damage than benefits, failing to help people or nature. Our paper sets out to look at these issues and create a framework for people, businesses and policymakers to use for future reforestation projects that can aid both people and the environment.”

According to Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and senior author of the paper: “Forests are crucial to all life on Earth. They provide a home to 75% of the planet’s plants and animals, they provide us with food, fuels and medicine and are incredibly important for our mental health and wellbeing. But they are disappearing at an alarming pace; we lose an area of tropical rainforest twice the size of Wales every year. It is therefore fantastic that thousands of people and businesses are planting trees. Our paper doesn’t set out to say that tree planting is wrong, it is a brilliant solution to tackle global warming and protect biodiversity, when done correctly and effectively. Instead, we want our paper and upcoming conference to challenge the way we currently plant trees so that we can maximise impact and herald a new era for the world’s forests that benefits everyone. And whenever there’s a choice, we stress that halting deforestation and protecting remaining forests must be a priority.”

In the UK, guidance on reforestation is provided by the UK Forestry Standard which sets out the UK governments' approach to sustainable forestry, including standards and requirements, regulations and monitoring, and reporting.

The UK Forestry Standard covers key different elements of sustainable forest management:

biodiversity
climate change
historic environment
landscape
people
soil
water

Tree planting can be a great help in the fight against climate change but it is not a panacea, and it is very important that the right trees are planted in the right places.