To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for his assessment of the carbon-reducing ability of new woodland, including the time new woodland spends as (i) a net carbon-producer; and (ii) a net carbon-sink.

Planting woodland to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is a cost-effective way of reducing net emissions while also providing many other social and environmental benefits. To support an increase in the rate of afforestation I launched Forests for Our Future aiming to plant 9,000 hectares of new woodland by 2030, which is in line with recommendations made by the Committee for Climate Change Reducing emissions in Northern Ireland Report published in 2019.

The Woodland Carbon Code is a voluntary standard for UK woodland creation projects which allows woodland owners to create verified carbon credits, including for sale on the open market. The Code estimates carbon emissions for new woodland established on agricultural land are between 2 and 24 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) per hectare dependent on a range of site variables including: soil type, previous land use and site preparation. The same models indicate that the time taken for woodland to become a net carbon sink is between 10 and 15 years and can be earlier where particular sites have the lowest carbon emissions at planting. As woodlands mature the code estimates that the amount of carbon they can capture at the age of 50 years is 300-500 tCO2e per hectare and this figure can increase over a longer time period.