Local communities are benefitting from newly planted woodland after 2.5 million trees were planted by England’s Community Forests network and their flagship Trees for Climate programme in 2025/26.
First established in 2020 and funded by UK Government, Trees for Climate is increasing woodland and tree cover in towns, cities and rural areas – helping capture carbon, restore nature, reduce flood risk and improve health and wellbeing. As the trees grow, they will also provide shade, cleaner air, and accessible green spaces for communities to enjoy.
This effort forms part of a long-term national commitment to expand tree cover and deliver the wide-ranging benefits that woodlands provide to people, nature and the economy.
In the 2025/26 planting season, Trees for Climate:
- Enabled 2.5 million new trees to be planted by local communities across the country.
- Created 2,325 hectares of new woodland and hedgerows across England’s Community Forests network, from the rural landscapes of Cumbria to the urban fringes of Bristol.
- Engaged 22,995 local people across over almost 800 different projects, fostering local connection and ownership of projects alongside supporting green skills.
- Planted almost 182,000 metres of hedgerow, creating vital habitats and natural land management.
- Created over 87km of footpaths, making nature and the health and wellbeing benefits it brings more accessible for all.
Over 10 million trees have now been planted across England’s Community Forests since the Trees for Climate programme began – that’s 35% of all government-funded tree planting since 2020 – with research showing that £8 worth of economic benefit is created for every £1 invested by Defra.
Funding from the Trees for Climate programme is available to landowners and land managers across England’s Community Forest areas, to cover up to 100% of all woodland creation project costs as well as future establishment.
For more information about how to get involved or apply for funding and support from the Trees for Climate programme, visit www.englandscommunityforests.org.uk/landowners.
