Create 43,000ha of Woodland Per Year by 2030

Commitment: Create at least 43,000 hectares of woodland per year across England by 2030. England-specific component of the UK-wide woodland creation target. Also contributes to the longer-term defra-woodland-16-5pct-2050 target of 16.5% woodland cover by 2050.

Owner: Defra / Forestry Commission

Target date: 2030 (annual rate)

Metric: Hectares of new woodland planted annually, as reported by Forestry Commission England.

Status: at-risk

Context

Woodland creation is dual-purpose: biodiversity benefit (habitat connectivity, species abundance) and carbon sequestration (8.3 million tonnes CO₂ removal annually when at scale, valued at £2.3bn — from climate-biodiversity joint paper).

Three new national forests are referenced in the Unlocking Benefits paper as part of the woodland expansion programme.

Delivery mechanisms

• ELM Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery (woodland creation payments)
• Tree planting grants (England Woodland Creation Offer)
• Urban tree planting programmes
• National forests programme

Delivery history

• [2022-25] Woodland creation in England: 13,442ha (per Agriculture Water Quality TDP — significantly below the 43,000ha/year target rate)
• [January 2025] EIP 2025: reaffirms target; identifies delivery shortfall
• The 2022-25 figure of 13,442ha total versus 43,000ha annual target indicates the programme is running at approximately 10% of required pace

Key risks

Annual target of 43,000ha is substantially above current delivery rates. This gap is among the clearest delivery shortfalls in the EIP 2025 framework.

Tensions

• Land competition: woodland creation competes with agricultural use and housing development for the same land