Latest news with #EnvironmentalImprovementPlan
New Statesman
23-06-2025
- Politics
- New Statesman
Trees underpin environmental leadership
Image: The Woodland Trust Woods and trees are woven into our identities and sense of place as individuals and communities across the four nations of the UK. The outcry over the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree and, more recently, the Whitewebbs Oak amply demonstrate this and have seen perhaps the greatest public demonstration of this relationship with trees since the protests against the sell-off of the Public Forest Estate under the coalition government. At the time of writing, all those with an interest in the environment keenly awaited the publication of the Westminster government's Environmental Improvement Plan, and at the end of the year we will also see the Cop30 summit in the Amazon, where there will be a strong focus on forests both globally and domestically. For the UK government to speak with authority on the world stage about such matters needs a strong domestic story. This was the central theme of a very-well-attended Westminster reception hosted by the Woodland Trust earlier this year, bringing together parliamentarians, business leaders and members of the Woodland Trust Youth Council. The actions required to effectively protect, restore and expand our domestic woodland cover must be underpinned by a robust evidence base. It is against this backdrop that the Woodland Trust has recently published the State of the UK's Woods and Trees report, funded with the support of players of the People's Postcode Lottery. The previous version, published in 2021, generated a good deal of interest and debate and we anticipate the same for the 2025 version. It was the focus of a recent meeting of the all-party parliamentary group for woods and trees, and we expect it will continue to generate debate over the coming months. State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025 sets out how woods and trees need our help to build ecological resilience to thrive for wildlife and people. What are its key findings? The climate is changing with devastating consequences, and healthy woodlands are a key part of UK plans to tackle climate change. Woods and trees help us to adapt and reduce the impact of a changing climate by providing a wide range of social benefits and environmental services. Indeed, UK forests store one billion tonnes of carbon, and each year, remove approximately 18.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is almost 5 per cent of the UK's annual carbon emissions. Despite tree cover rising to 13.5 per cent, woodland biodiversity continues to decline. The woodland bird index was 37 per cent lower in 2022 than in 1970 and has decreased by 15 per cent in the last five years. This is largely due to our woodlands not being in good enough ecological condition. Trees and woods also improve our health and wellbeing. However, these benefits are not equally distributed. Following on from our groundbreaking Tree Equity mapping, new research also indicates that lower-income areas not only have less tree cover, but existing woods in these areas contain fewer biodiversity traits and are not as effective at boosting local people's wellbeing. The report contains neighbourhood averages for each local authority area. The UK neighbourhood average for urban canopy cover is 19.3 per cent, but this masks significant differences. For example, there are neighbourhoods in Hartlepool with canopy cover of 2 per cent, compared with Hampstead where some neighbourhoods are over 40 per cent. The essential benefits of urban trees are not equitably distributed among populations Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe in the UK. This report sought to find out why we continue to ignore the deep interdependencies between trees, wildlife, climate and people and why we cannot afford to keep doing so. We found that the UK continues to miss woodland creation targets. The Climate Change Committee (CCC) published the seventh carbon budgetearlier this year calling for woodland creation to be nearly doubled by 2030. Yet just 45 per cent of targets have been met in the UK in the last four years, which means we've missed out on an additional 8.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050. We also found that woodlands face an escalating and interacting suite of threats, yet the scale and urgency of action is lacking. For instance, the UK currently hosts 121 introduced pests of native trees. An estimated £919.9m is spent each year in the UK on managing only six pests. The impact of climate change is exacerbating these effects. What can we do to turn things around? The latest Bunce survey published in 2024, led by the Woodland Trust and UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), gives an unparalleled 50-year insight into changes in Britain's woodlands. This revealed a decline in ecological complexity and biodiversity due to a lack of management, therefore making them less resilient. We desperately need sensitive management of UK woodlands to improve their ecological condition and unlock their ability to adapt to climate change. Ecological restoration of woodland habitats through sensitive management not only supports nature recovery but also supports a well-functioning carbon cycle that provides a stable, long-term store of carbon. Only with increased levels of sensitive management can woods and trees continue to provide benefits for people and wildlife. We drastically need to improve the condition of our woodland – if we are to tackle biodiversity loss, mitigate climate change and secure the public health benefits of trees. Governments across the UK need to invest in the management of our woodlands, so that trees of all ages can thrive, along with the wildlife that call them home. It is also vital that the government starts hitting its tree-planting targets, so that there is time to grow the veteran trees of the future. People care deeply about the natural world around them and know how much we all benefit from healthy woods and trees. We must prioritise protecting, restoring and planting new woodlands, for the health of our communities and our planet. Related
Belfast Telegraph
04-06-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
‘No place for homophobia, racism, or misogyny': Michelle O'Neill brands abuse targeted at agriculture minister ‘disgraceful'
Mr Muir told the Assembly on Tuesday that he and his department had been the target of 'vile' homophobic, racist and misogynistic comments on social media over his department's proposed Nutrients Action Programme. Posting on social media on Wednesday morning, Ms O'Neill said: 'The online abuse directed at Minister Andrew Muir and staff in his department is disgraceful. 'There must always be space for open and honest debate on policy, but there is absolutely no place for homophobia, racism, or misogyny. 'I urge people to engage constructively in the political process: to shape policy, improve it, and make it work for farmers, our environment, and Lough Neagh.' In the Assembly on Tuesday, Mr Muir was pressed to abandon the proposed plan for 2026-29 which is currently out for consultation during questions for his department. He was warned the proposals, aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources, could destroy the farming industry. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Opponents to the plan have argued that the measures currently proposed could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food security. They have called on Mr Muir to bring forward a policy based on genuine partnership rather than punitive policies which risk the viability of our agricultural industry. A petition set up by DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen calling for the plan to be scrapped had been signed by more than 1,800 people by Tuesday afternoon. Mr Muir told MLAs there is a requirement arising from the Lough Neagh Action Plan and also the Environmental Improvement Plan to review the Nutrients Action Plan. He said it is about ensuring both financial and environmental sustainability, and emphasised they are currently undertaking a consultation on draft proposals, and that no final decisions have been taken. Mr Muir also expressed concern that there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, and said the social media commentary around the plan in recent weeks has been disgraceful'. 'There's been misogynistic comments against officials in my department,' he said. 'There's been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working within our agri-food sector. 'And not for a very long time have I seen such vile homophobic comments about myself. I am a gay man, and I am proud to be a gay man, and it has no relevance whatsoever to the Nutrients Action Programme nor my ability to do this job.' The consultation on the revised Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 is set to continue to July 24 2025.
Belfast Telegraph
03-06-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
NI minister slams ‘vile homophobic, racist and misogynistic' comments on social media over Nutrients Action Programme
Andrew Muir was pressed to abandon the proposed plan for 2026-29 which is currently out for consultation during questions for his department in the Assembly on Tuesday. He was warned the proposals, aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources, could destroy the farming industry. Opponents to the plan have argued that the measures currently proposed could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food security. They have called on Mr Muir to bring forward a policy based on genuine partnership rather than punitive policies which risk the viability of our agricultural industry Mr Muir told MLAs there is a requirement arising from the Lough Neagh Action Plan and also the Environmental Improvement Plan to review the Nutrients Action Plan. He said it is about ensuring both financial and environmental sustainability, and emphasised they are currently undertaking a consultation on draft proposals, and that no final decisions have been taken. Mr Muir also expressed concern that there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, and said the social media commentary around the plan in recent weeks has been disgraceful'. 'There's been misogynistic comments against officials in my department,' he said. 'There's been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working within our agri-food sector. 'And not for a very long time have I seen such vile homophobic comments about myself. I am a gay man, and I am proud to be a gay man, and it has no relevance whatsoever to the Nutrients Action Programme nor my ability to do this job.' The consultation on the revised Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 is set to continue to July 24 2025.
ITV News
03-06-2025
- General
- ITV News
Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister calls out ‘homophobia, racism and misogyny' over NAP proposal
Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister has slammed 'vile homophobic, racist and misogynistic' comments on social media in opposition to his department's proposed Nutrients Action Muir was pressed to abandon the proposed plan for 2026-29 which is currently out for consultation during questions for his department in the Assembly on was warned the proposals, aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources, could destroy the farming industry. Opponents to the plan have argued that the measures currently proposed could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food have called on Mr Muir to bring forward a policy based on genuine partnership rather than punitive policies which risk the viability of our agricultural industryMr Muir told MLAs there is a requirement arising from the Lough Neagh Action Plan and also the Environmental Improvement Plan to review the Nutrients Action said it is about ensuring both financial and environmental sustainability, and emphasised they are currently undertaking a consultation on draft proposals, and that no final decisions have been Muir also expressed concern that there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, and said the social media commentary around the plan in recent weeks has been "disgraceful'.'There's been misogynistic comments against officials in my department,' he said.'There's been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working within our agri-food sector.'And not for a very long time have I seen such vile homophobic comments about myself. I am a gay man, and I am proud to be a gay man, and it has no relevance whatsoever to the Nutrients Action Programme nor my ability to do this job.'The consultation on the revised Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 is set to continue to July 24 2025.
Belfast Telegraph
03-06-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
NI minister slams ‘vile homophobic, racist and misogynistic' on social media over Nutrients Action Programme
Northern Ireland's agriculture minister has slammed 'vile homophobic, racist and misogynistic' comments on social media in opposition to his department's proposed Nutrients Action Programme. Andrew Muir was pressed to abandon the proposed plan for 2026-29 which is currently out for consultation during questions for his department in the Assembly on Tuesday. He was warned the proposals, aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources, could destroy the farming industry. Opponents to the plan have argued that the measures currently proposed could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food security. They have called on Mr Muir to bring forward a policy based on genuine partnership rather than punitive policies which risk the viability of our agricultural industry Mr Muir told MLAs there is a requirement arising from the Lough Neagh Action Plan and also the Environmental Improvement Plan to review the Nutrients Action Plan. He said it is about ensuring both financial and environmental sustainability, and emphasised they are currently undertaking a consultation on draft proposals, and that no final decisions have been taken. Mr Muir also expressed concern that there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, and said the social media commentary around the plan in recent weeks has been disgraceful'. 'There's been misogynistic comments against officials in my department,' he said. 'There's been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working within our agri-food sector. 'And not for a very long time have I seen such vile homophobic comments about myself. I am a gay man, and I am proud to be a gay man, and it has no relevance whatsoever to the Nutrients Action Programme nor my ability to do this job.' The consultation on the revised Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 is set to continue to July 24 2025.
