The Liberal Democrats have pledged to plant 60m trees every year if they get into government, increasing the UK’s forest cover by 1m hectares by 2045.

The party’s leader, Jo Swinson, will make a trip to Hampstead in north London on Saturday to plant a tree and set out proposals for what she described as the largest tree-planting programme in UK history.

The UK is one of the least forested countries in Europe, with just 10% of England covered by woodland, compared with 31% of France and 37% of Spain.

According to figures published in June, tree-planting in England fell well short of targets in the previous year. Only 1,420 hectares (3,507 acres) of trees were planted in England in the year to March 2019, against the government’s target of 5,000 hectares.

The Committee on Climate Change has said the UK would need to plant 1.5bn trees, equivalent to an area of 30,000 hectares every year, if it was to meet its net-zero carbon target.

The Lib Dem initiative is part of the party’s plans to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 and to halve emissions by 2030 compared with today. At its autumn conference, Labour set out plans to work towards a net-zero carbon economy by 2030, two decades before the government’s legally binding 2050 target.

Swinson said the party would take bold action to reduce carbon emissions as quickly as possible. “Our plan includes the largest tree-planting programme in UK history, which will green our towns and countryside to absorb damaging emissions,” she said.

“This will help us reach net-zero emissions, and will nurture biodiversity, combat air pollution and improve public spaces.



“It’s clear that the Conservative party doesn’t take climate change seriously. Only the Liberal Democrats have a radical plan to make a real impact in the fight against climate change and build a brighter future for our planet.”

The Lib Dems have pledged to spend £6bn over the next parliament to increase tree-planting levels and to help fund the restoration of other natural carbon sinks, such as peatlands. The party plans to plant trees across the country, including in towns and cities, as well as supporting large afforestation initiatives such as the Northern Forest.

Last year the government pledged £5.7m to kickstart the creation of a northern forest that would stretch from Liverpool to Hull. The plans, led by the Woodland Trust, include the planting of 50m trees along a 120-mile stretch of land running next to the M62.