FIRST STEPS ON A LONG JOURNEY
While the world suddenly wants to plant trees, the Grown in Britain family is not easily fooled into seeing this as the panacea. We know that putting a tree into the ground is merely the first step on a long journey.
On Wednesday 25th March, we are involved in running the first major conference on new tree planting in the UK, with our partners the Ecosystems Knowledge Network and Strutt and Parker. This timely conference follows calls by the Committee on Climate Change for a huge expansion of our woodland cover, to mitigate the climate crisis along with a social uprising never seen before around more trees for a sustainable future.
As I write this, the chancellor of the exchequer has just announced a step change in the expansion of the UK’s woodland cover, with a publicly funded target of 30,000 hectares over the next five years. I welcome this, but I am equally determined to ensure that the management of our existing neglected woods and forests, also receives significant investment – because they already exist, and they have the potential to deliver fantastic benefits for society, biodiversity and climate change, right now.
Our existing woodlands contain a wealth of materials that can embody carbon for hundreds of years when made into joinery products, house frames and furniture. And if we use more from our own woods, then we import less from around the world with the associated heavy carbon miles.
We cannot delegate to other countries, the responsibility to provide all of our timber; and we cannot salve our carbon conscience by simply planting a tree, without a plan to manage it for its whole life.
After careful deliberation, Grown in Britain is developing a woodland creation programme to make sure corporate funding has a choice, with our standards applied. Our standard will have the DNA you would expect from us as an organisation; resilient species choices able to produce materials for future use in the homes of our great-great-grandchildren.
Grown in Britain Woodlands will deliver for donors, clients and supporters, an exemplar of multipurpose forestry that delivers benefits for people, biodiversity and of course, carbon.
At the #AWC20 conference on 25th March, we will discuss, debate and present the issues of the day, surrounding the huge drive to accelerate woodland creation in the UK.
To ensure maximum accessibility in the midst of coronavirus, the conference has been moved online. This will be an interesting experience for all involved and a chance for extensive delegate participation via posted questions etc.
At the conference, Grown in Britain will also be launching our certification of Plant Healthy; a biosecurity scheme considered to be a world first, with a unique mark, robustly audited and reassuring for all.
If you’re joining us online for the conference, I look forward to meeting you.
Dougal
Click here to book your place at the online conference. GiB members claim 20% off with coupon code: AWC-GIB
