Northern Ireland must increase tree planting urgently
Communications and engagement manager - Northern Ireland
The State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2025: Northern Ireland report, launched today (Tuesday 14 October), reveals that Northern Ireland not only has the lowest woodland cover in the UK and Ireland, but is failing to meet its own tree planting targets, putting climate action, nature recovery and community wellbeing at risk.
Just 8.6% of Northern Ireland’s land area is wooded, compared to 19% in Scotland, 15% in Wales, 11% in the Republic of Ireland and 10% in England. Even more starkly, tree canopy in towns and cities averages only 15.2%, amongst the lowest in the UK.
In many urban areas, the figure drops below 10%, meaning that thousands of residents live in ‘tree poor’ neighbourhoods with less shade, poorer air quality and fewer green spaces to support health and wellbeing.
Woodland creation not hitting targets
In 2020, DAERA launched its Forests for Our Future programme with an ambition to plant 18 million trees and create 9,000 hectares of new woodland by 2030 to help mitigate the ongoing climate and nature crises.
Planting rates since the programme’s launch have consistently fallen short of this target. Between 2020 and 2024, 1,700 hectares of new woodland have been planted, less than a fifth of the 9,000-hectare target, leaving 7,300 hectares still to be planted by 2030. The Woodland Trust Northern Ireland warns that current progress is far too slow to support carbon reduction targets set out in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.
Existing woodlands at risk
The report also finds that many of Northern Ireland’s woodlands face threats from invasive species, overgrazing by deer and a lack of management. Compared to the rest of the UK, data on both the presence and distribution of introduced pests and diseases in Northern Ireland is sparse.
Whilst both Great Britain and Ireland have access to online platforms for reporting tree pests and diseases, no such facility is currently available in Northern Ireland. There is also a lack of accurate and representative baseline data on the distribution and true species makeup of the deer population. This information is essential to inform appropriate and adaptive woodland management at a landscape scale.
Urgent action required
To protect and restore existing trees and woodlands, and to accelerate new tree planting and woodland creation, the report sets out several key recommendations:
- DAERA should initiate a co-design process with stakeholders to develop a new forestry strategy to replace the current strategy published in 2006.
- Local councils should adopt a tree equity approach to prioritise urban tree planting where it’s needed most.
- The Northern Ireland Assembly should support stronger legal protection for our oldest and most significant trees and woods.
- DAERA should restore access to the TreeCheck platform in Northern Ireland to support early detection and effective management of tree pests and diseases.
In response to the report, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir responded:
"I welcome the Woodland Trust bringing forward this report on the important and timely assessment of Northern Ireland’s woodlands that we all value highly in so many different ways. It is vital that we protect and restore our existing woodlands and significantly expand native woodland cover across Northern Ireland. The rate of tree planting and woodland creation needs to increase substantially to deliver tree planting targets, meet afforestation policy objectives and deliver on our climate change commitments.
"It is for these reasons that I am pleased to announce that my department will be developing a Northern Ireland Tree Planting Action Plan over the coming months. The Action Plan will be developed in conjunction with stakeholders through a co-design process and I appreciate the support from the Strategic Investment Board in facilitating this work. We must harness the extensive knowledge and experience of stakeholders to re-energise tree planting efforts, and I believe that by working together we can overcome barriers and deliver necessary actions to drive our ambition around woodland creation."
John Martin, director of Woodland Trust Northern Ireland, said:
"Northern Ireland is falling behind on its tree planting targets, and our existing woodlands are under increasing pressure. To tackle climate change, restore nature and deliver the many benefits that trees bring to communities, we need urgent and coordinated action.
"This means protecting and restoring our existing trees and woodlands, while significantly accelerating new tree planting. We welcome the Minister’s announcement of the Northern Ireland Tree Planting Action Plan and look forward to collaborating with him and his team through a co-design process that will advance climate action and promote nature recovery."
Notes to Editors
The State of the UK's Woods and Trees report references woodland creation figures up to the end of 2024. Since the report was written, DAERA has published 2025 figures showing an additional 500 hectares of new woodland planted. This brings the total to approximately 2,200 hectares since 2020, leaving around 6,800 hectares still required by 2030 to meet the Forests for Our Future target.
For more details on this release, contact Michelle McCaughtry in the Woodland Trust press office at 07979 304703 or michellemccaughtry@woodlandtrust.org.uk
About the Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the UK with more than 500,000 supporters. With a vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, today the Trust owns and cares for more than 1,000 woodland sites, covering around 33,000 hectares.
The Woodland Trust has three key aims:
- protecting the UK's rare, unique and irreplaceable ancient woodland
- restoring damaged ancient woodland, nurturing precious pieces of our natural heritage back to life
- establishing new native trees and woods to create healthy, resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.
Access to all Woodland Trust woods is free so everyone can experience the physical and mental benefits of trees.