Wildlife Trusts and Aviva team up to bring back UK rainforests
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- 14 Feb 2023
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The Wildlife Trusts are embarking on an ambitious new project to restore rainforests in the UK thanks to £38 million of funding from Aviva.
Temperate rainforest is a very rare and biodiverse habitat that once stretched from Cornwall to western Scotland. UK rainforests have been largely destroyed over many hundreds of years for timber, farming, transport networks and development. Now they cover less than 1% of the UK in areas such as western Scotland, the Lake District and western Wales.
The scheme will see at least 2,000 ha of trees (the equivalent of some 2,600 football pitches) planted at reserves in western areas of the UK.
It is part of a wider programme of nature-based projects funded by Aviva to remove carbon from the atmosphere, which aims to improve biodiversity and climate resilience by restoring wild places.
Creating and connecting wilder landscapes is fundamental for nature's recovery, stopping climate change and adapting to its impacts. This includes achieving UK net-zero targets, reducing the threat from extreme heat, flood and drought, and protecting at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.
Craig Bennett, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: "We're looking forward to working with communities to bring back rainforests along the UK's Atlantic coast – these woods are magical and much loved by those who visit and live near them.
"The task of restoring land to help nature recover and store carbon has never been more urgent. Nature – wild habitats and the species that depend on them – is in fast decline and we're in a climate crisis. These twin emergencies are interlinked and threaten communities, water supplies and the future of farming – which is why we're so pleased that, with Aviva's support, we'll be substantially increasing our efforts to address these crises.
"We have very strict criteria for what we consider to be a very high integrity carbon credit scheme for the residual emissions still left after strenuous efforts to reduce them at source. Aviva's approach meets our high standards. We're excited that we'll now be able to work with many more communities to help nature fight back, improve climate resilience and enhance the lives of all those involved through these projects. Read More…
