Rugby's landowners urged to take advantage of £10m scheme to encourage new tree planting

It's part of a government-backed woodland creation plan
Mr Pawsey (right) and Cllr Yousef Dahmash (left) planting trees in the Rugby's Diamond Wood. Photo taken before social distancing measures were announced.Mr Pawsey (right) and Cllr Yousef Dahmash (left) planting trees in the Rugby's Diamond Wood. Photo taken before social distancing measures were announced.
Mr Pawsey (right) and Cllr Yousef Dahmash (left) planting trees in the Rugby's Diamond Wood. Photo taken before social distancing measures were announced.

Land managers in Rugby and Bulkington are being encouraged to get involved in a multi-million-pound government-backed scheme to encourage more tree planting as part of a woodland creation scheme.

The Forestry Commission has announced that £10 million will be available in the second auction of the Woodland Carbon Guarantee.

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Those who want to get involved need to sign up to the scheme by June 5, ahead of the next auction which will take place online between the June 8 and June 19.

Launched in November 2019, the Woodland Carbon Guarantee is a £50 million scheme that aims to help accelerate woodland planting rates and helps to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Successful participants will be offered the option to sell Woodland Carbon Units to the government over 35 years at a guaranteed price set by auction and protected against inflation, providing new income for land managers who help businesses compensate for their carbon emissions.

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This announcement follows the success of the first auction which closed in February 2020 and saw 18 contracts offered by the Forestry Commission to help stimulate the creation of 182 hectares of new woodland, specifically to help combat climate change.

Mr Pawsey said: “Encouraging the planting of more trees to create new woods is not only good for our wildlife, it also helps the atmosphere.

"One of Rugby’s great features is its countryside and I would encourage landowners to get involved with this scheme, which will benefit everyone.

"Woodland also provides a sustainable and natural resource if well managed, helping to develop the wider economy.”

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“As a member and the interim-Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, I know just how important reducing our carbon emissions is for the UK’s future.

"That is why, alongside the dramatic reductions we have seen from industry thanks to the Government’s work with businesses, our manifesto commits to increase planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by 2025.

"This scheme is an important part of that and I hope local land-owners here in Rugby will apply.”

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