Source · National Audit Office

Planting Trees in England

This report evaluates whether Defra’s management of new tree-planting schemes is likely to achieve value for money.

Published: 4 Mar 2022 Recommendations: 7 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 4 Department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

Dept: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Topics: Climate change and net zeroEnergy and environmentEnvironmental sustainability nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

7 items

5 accepted 2 partially accepted 6 implemented 1 in progress

Recommendation 1

Addressee: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Source location: Page 14, paragraph 25, point a

Defra and the Forestry Commission should:
a) set clear milestones for nursery and forestry workforce capacity from 2025 onwards based on the long-term trajectory for tree-planting set by the net zero strategy, and use these milestones to provide a target for these aspects to be achieved between now and 2025;

Response position: Partially accepted

Delivery: Implemented · Q1 2026-27

Recommendation 2

Addressee: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Source location: Page 14, paragraph 25, point b

b) urgently establish what is required for the transition of tree-planting into ELM and develop its plans to achieve a smooth transition and ensure lessons learned in the early years can be carried forward;

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: In progress · Q4 2025-26

Recommendation 3

Addressee: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Source location: Page 14, paragraph 25, point c

c) ensure its monitoring and evaluation framework includes robust mechanisms for measuring progress against targets for wider benefits such as biodiversity, flood management and air quality;

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · Q3 2024-25 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 4

Addressee: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Source location: Page 14, paragraph 25, point d

d) establish plans for how to address a range of scenarios, including where tree-planting rates are falling short of targets, particularly how it will prioritise between the number of trees planted and the wider benefits that new trees should achieve;

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · Q4 2022-23 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 5

Addressee: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Source location: Page 15, paragraph 25, point e

e) incorporate a measure of the proportion of woodlands that are well managed into its target for increasing woodland cover by 2050; and

Response position: Partially accepted

Delivery: Implemented · Q1 2026-27

Recommendation 6

Addressee: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Source location: Page 15, paragraph 25, point f

f) work with the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury to identify and act on opportunities across government to support the achievement of government’s
tree-planting targets.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · Q3 2025-26 · Confirmed by NAO

Recommendation 7

Addressee: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero · Source location: Page 15, paragraph 26, point g

Our review of the Programme has identified factors that are likely to be replicated across government as it increases activity aimed at achieving its net zero target, particularly the perceived urgency with which action is required. We therefore recommend that the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, as department with overall responsibility for achieving net zero, should:
g) review the lessons drawn from delivering the Programme at speed and consider how these can be shared, where appropriate, across government’s net zero projects and programmes, including establishing that targets are realistic and achievable.

Response position: Accepted

Delivery: Implemented · Q1 2022-23 · Confirmed by NAO