Trees sequester carbon as they grow, removing it from the air and storing it in their wood where it is locked up for centuries, or in their leaves which then transfer the carbon to the surrounding soil when they fall from the tree and decompose. Sequestering carbon not only helps to mitigate climate change by removing carbon from the atmosphere, but it also presents financial opportunities for businesses to off-set carbon through tree planting.

Beyond carbon storage, trees contribute to net zero by directing removing carbon from the air. In urban areas, green spaces and well-managed tree planting schemes are also effective in promoting active travel by making walking and cycling routes more appealing. This encourages a shift away from private vehicle use, reducing the associated greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.

Forestry and forest related industries are economically important sectors, particularly in more rural areas. The planting and management of trees and woodlands provides employment and opportunities for the diversification of income of landowners, as well as a source of ‘home grown’ timber and non-timber forest products. The UK is heavily reliant on imported timber, with around 80% of wood products consumed in the UK being imported. Strengthening domestic forestry is essential for economic resilience and environmental sustainability. Trees and woodlands can also indirectly contribute to the economy by making an area more pleasant to visit, thereby increasing tourism and associated trade.

The presence of trees and woodlands within water catchments can improve water quality, alleviate flooding and provide shade to cool water during hot weather. Trees are known to slow the flow of rainfall entering watercourses, acting as natural flood defences by lowering the likelihood of rivers overflowing and flooding surrounding low-lying areas. The roots of trees also help to stabilise soil, limiting soil erosion and bank collapse during high rainfall events.

Trees and woodlands can improve physical and mental health by cooling urban areas, reducing air pollution by up to 50%, reducing blood pressure, improving immunity, and contributing to community cohesion and a sense of place. Trees also improve quality of life, offering relief from the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Urban communities are disproportionately affected by pollution-related sickness and deaths, so incorporating more trees and woods into urban areas is crucial to reduce this inequality.

Trees and woodlands are essential for reversing biodiversity loss and restoring ecological resilience across the UK. They provide important habitats for other species, as individuals, as woodlands, and as corridors connecting other habitats. All trees and woodlands are valuable, Oak trees alone support over 2,300 species, with 326 species entirely dependent on oak for survival. The benefits of woodland creation: Woods for Nature – GOV.UK. Native woodlands make a particularly significant contribution to the offering   precious priority habitats throughout the region, offering the resources needed by species such as insects, birds, bats, mammals and fungi to feed, reproduce, and shelter. However only 7% of UK nature woodlands are currently in good ecological condition, and one-third of woodland species are in decline. The woodland bird index has dropped by 37% since 1970, with a 15% decline in the last five years alone – woodlandtrust.org.uk/state-of-uk-woods-and-trees/. Woodland butterflies have declined by 41 % between 1990 and 2019, and five woodland species  have declined by 80%

Wooded habitats, including trees, hedgerows, scrub and woodlands, play four key roles in landscape-scale nature recovery, individual tree severe as habitat in their own right, they are vital components of other habitats, such as meadows and wetlands, they form large-scale habitat mosaics, supporting diverse ecological communities and act as corridors, enabling species movement and dispersal between fragmented habitats.

Creating and restoring woodlands is central to the UK’s legally binding targets to halt species decline by 2030. Carefully sited and managed tree planting enhances biodiversity, improves ecological connectivity, and supports species recovery at multiple scales from individual trees to entire landscapes. [woodlandtrust.org.uk]

Trees and woodlands, particularly wood pastures, traditional orchards, ancient and veteran trees, scrub, and hedgerow trees, provide valuable contributions to the landscape and are important spaces for nature and people. Trees and woodlands are important features within many landscapes, either as part of heritage features such as Conservation Areas, for the history and culture associated with ancient, veteran or other notable trees and ancient woodlands themselves, or by providing a sense of identity and place that brings communities together,.