Woodland Trust CEO's statement on State of UK Climate Report
Chief Executive
Darren Moorcroft, Woodland Trust CEO, has made the following statement in response to the Met Office’s State of UK Climate Report, which the Energy Secretary has labelled a “stark warning” to take action on climate and nature.
Darren Moorcroft said:
“Nature is showing us that the government needs to act to tackle the interconnected nature and climate crises. Data featured in today’s State of UK Climate Report, which was collected for the Woodland Trust’s Nature’s Calendar project, shows that spring is getting earlier each year. Across the country, the British public are recording what is happening in their own gardens and the wider countryside and seeing, with their own eyes, the effects of climate change on the natural world.
“Our recent State of UK Woods and Trees Report (June 2025) revealed how vital trees are in tackling climate change and its effects by capturing carbon, cooling our towns and cities and preventing flooding. Trees are one of the most powerful weapons we have in our fight against climate change. But trees themselves are under grave danger from climate change, so actively managing our woodlands to help them thrive has never been more crucial.
“We all need the government to make plans for bigger, healthier and more joined-up woodland habitats that are better for people and nature, and more able to withstand and tackle climate change. The government must also match the investment it is making in tree planting as a powerful nature-based solution to the crisis, with investment into caring for the trees and woodlands we already have. Plans must be made at a landscape scale, so that nature is able to adapt and build resilience to the challenges of climate change. UK towns and cities suffer huge inequity in tree canopy cover and this needs to be addressed immediately for the sake of public health.”
Notes to editors
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.