- UK Government has confirmed funding for the next phase of the national Trees for Climate programme.
- The Defra Trees Programme, backed by over £1 billion in investment this Parliament, will continue funding England’s Community Forests through the Trees for Climate programme, delivering a further 9,000 hectares of new woodland by 2030.
- A significant new partnership between England’s Community Forests, the National Trust, the Woodland Trust, and the Community Forest Trust will supercharge the programme’s long-term environmental, social, and economic impacts.
England’s Community Forests network has today announced the continuation of its flagship Trees for Climate programme, marking the milestone with the launch of a significant new partnership maximising the benefits of community-led urban and rural woodland creation across the country.
Funded by UK Government through the national Defra Trees Programme, Trees for Climate will be taken to new heights by a partnership combining the rich placed-based knowledge and relationships of England’s Community Forests network, the scale and experience of the National Trust and Woodland Trust as national organisations, and the supporting, enabling and championing role of the Community Forest Trust.
The partnership will be focused on ensuring new woodlands actively foster nature recovery, reduce the risk of flooding to communities, capture carbon and help us adapt to climate change. The new woodlands will also provide essential access to green spaces, improving community health and wellbeing. Through working together, the partners aim to create access to trees for all, wherever people live.
By bringing together the nation’s foremost conservation and community forestry bodies, the new partnership will ensure that the right trees are planted in the right places, for the right reasons, backed by centuries of combined land-management expertise.
James Russell, Co-Chair of England’s Community Forests network and Director of the Forest of Marston Vale, said:
“Trees for Climate has always been about more than simply getting trees in the ground; it’s about creating resilient landscapes that communities can enjoy for generations. By joining forces with the National Trust, the Woodland Trust and the Community Forest Trust, we are pooling our expertise to ensure these woodlands deliver deep, lasting benefits for people, places, and planet.”
The announcement comes hot on the heels of the programme’s highly successful sixth year. Throughout the 2025–26 planting season, Trees for Climate delivered substantial tree-planting across the 15 Community Forests, focused around towns and cities where new woodlands are needed most.
Over the past year, the programme:
- Planted over 2.5 million new trees and 182,000 metres of hedgerow
- Transformed 2,325 of hectares of land into new woodland
- Engaged almost 23,000 local volunteers, schools, and land managers in hands-on planting initiatives
- Created over 87km of footpaths, making nature and the health and wellbeing benefits it brings more accessible for all
Trees for Climate has now planted more than 10 million trees across the country – over 35% of all Government-funded tree planting since 2020, which in turn is having a significant impact on community access to nature, flood prevention, carbon sequestration, nature recovery, local and national economies, and supporting green jobs.
The programme is part of the UK Government’s commitment to significant enhancements in woodland creation, including investing £1 billion in tree planting and support to the forestry sector over this parliament.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:
“Through Trees for Climate, this government is delivering lasting change for communities across England; improving people’s access to green spaces, shading communities, reducing flood risk, and helping us meet our climate goals.
“This exciting new partnership – backed by our £1 billion investment in trees and forestry – will benefit people and nature for years to come.”
John Deakin, Head of Trees & Woodland at the National Trust, said:
“Together with England’s Community Forests, Woodland Trust, Community Forest Trust, and Defra, we can create more vibrant nature-rich spaces for more people of all ages to enjoy, increase homes and shelter for wildlife, and build longer-term future protection across revived landscapes. As Europe’s biggest conservation charity, this aligns well with our goals to work with partners and communities to help nature thrive, bring accessible green space closer to where people live and to inspire others to care and become involved”.
Trees for Climate is also supporting the growth of the Northern and Western forests, planting millions of trees that are transforming broad swathes of land into a healthier places both richer in wildlife and better for growing the green economy.
Nick Sellwood, Programme Director – Northern Forest at the Woodland Trust, said:
“By joining the next chapter of Trees for Climate, the Woodland Trust will build on longstanding collaboration with England’s Community Forests, the National Trust, the Community Forest Trust and Defra. This relationship has so far helped us to achieve many important projects and programmes, including the Northern Forest.
“As the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, the Trees for Climate partnership will help deliver our ambitions to share the many benefits of trees to more people and communities, to drive nature recovery and support climate adaptation.”
Claire Morgan, Chief Executive of the Community Forest Trust, said:
“This next phase of Trees for Climate is an important moment for community forestry in England. By bringing together the local knowledge and trusted relationships of England’s Community Forests with the national reach of the National Trust and Woodland Trust, we can accelerate woodland creation where it is needed most and ensure new trees deliver lasting benefits for people and nature. The Community Forest Trust is proud to support and champion this partnership, helping to turn shared ambition into practical action in communities across the country.”
The next phase of funding and planting under the Trees for Climate programme will begin ahead of the upcoming winter planting season, with local community forests, the National Trust and the Woodland Trust already identifying new sites and collaborative projects across England.
Are you a landowner interested in accessing Trees for Climate funding? Find out more and get in touch here.
