Chris Davies MP is the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Forestry.
Chris has campaigned since his election to Parliament in 2015 to increase tree planting, not just in Wales but across the UK.
Chris Davies MP said:
So why does a lack of tree planting matter? Firstly, the UK is the third largest net importer of wood products globally, behind only China and Japan.
The reason for our reliance on imports is simple. Woodland cover in England is only 10 per cent; Scotland leads the home nations with 18 per cent cover, but this is still only half the European average.
At the same time, global demand for timber is rising, One study says it will triple by 2050.
Lower supply and greater demand means the UK will be competing against other growing economies for a natural resource that we can, and should, grow more of at home.
Forestry Commission surveys show the British public want more trees; 80 per cent in the latest study say “a lot more” should be planted. Three-quarters think ‘trees are good because they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood’.
I will continue to campaign for the expansion of tree planting across the UK and hope to see improvements in the near future.