A new online hub has been launched by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Forest Research, Scottish Forestry and the Welsh government today (Monday, February 20) to help the forestry sector adapt to climate change.
The Climate Change Hub, managed by Forest Research, will share the most important aspects of United Kingdom Forest Standard (UKFS) guidance related to climate change adaptation.
The aim of the hub, the Forestry Commission said, is to encourage the uptake of adaptive practice by forest and woodland owners and managers.
The hub provides “concise information about risks from the changing climate, how to identify suitable adaptation measures and examples of how other managers are implementing adaptive practice”, the Forestry Commission said.
Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison said the hub will support the forest industry to make “better, more informed and ultimately more sustainable decisions when it comes to tree planting and woodland management”.
Trees and tree management, she said, are crucial parts of the UK’s plan to reach net zero by 2050, and resources like the Climate Change Hub will help this.
Chief executive of the Forestry Commission, Richard Stanford, said climate change will “affect our trees, wood and forests”.
Because of this, Stanford said that the UK must ensure that its “management practices ensure they thrive for the long-term to ensure all the benefits the provide are maximised”.
“Trees are a critical part of our endeavours to tackle climate change; trees are the most efficient and cost-effective method of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“The Climate Change Hub will allow all of us to see this critical information in one place for the first time, enabling land managers and foresters to make the best decisions for our planet on tree and forest management,” he said.
