Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Deferred
Paragraph: 38
While we acknowledge and respect the fact that environmental and planning policy are devolved competencies,...
Recommendation
While we acknowledge and respect the fact that environmental and planning policy are devolved competencies, we strongly encourage the Welsh Government to reassess whether it currently has sufficiently strong safeguards in place for its tree planting schemes. In particular, we draw their attention to the Woodland Trust’s call for a requirement that companies investing in carbon woodland offsets have a substantial and credible emission reductions programme in place and are not using offsetting schemes to avoid reducing emissions. Furthermore, we call on the Welsh and UK governments to improve the transparency and regulation of carbon offset schemes which in effect create a change of land use. For example, greater transparency may be achieved by the creation of a register of carbon offset schemes so that the extent of this problem can be monitored.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response discusses the Lump Sum Exit Scheme for farmers in England and sharing information with the Welsh Government, but does not address the original recommendation regarding safeguards for tree planting schemes or improving transparency and regulation of carbon offset schemes in Wales.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
38
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
The UK Woodland Carbon Code and the UK Peatland Code were developed with support from the UK and Devolved Governments. These Codes set the standard and provide robust arrangements for the registration, monitoring, verification and reporting of projects to deliver carbon savings and other environmental benefits through woodland creation and peatland restoration. The UK and Devolved Governments also supported the development of the UK Land Carbon Registry to ensure transparency of projects registered under the Codes. The registry contains information about projects registered under the UK Woodland Carbon Code and the UK Peatland Code, the location of registered projects, the carbon savings that are anticipated and the ownership of any credits that have been issued following verification of carbon savings. (https://www.woodlandcarboncode.org. uk/uk-land-carbon-registry Agricultural and planning policies are devolved matters. Within England we have no plans to monitor the purchase of viable agricultural land. Her Majesty’s Land Registry publishes information on all companies (UK and overseas) which own property in England and Wales (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/land-registry).
Read the full response on Parliament ↗