The National Forest

• Sponsorship & Support

• Sponsorship

• Sponsorship Success Stories
• The Environment & Corporate Social Responsibility
• Carbon Reduction with The National Forest
• Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
• Calculating Carbon Uptake in The National Forest

The Environment & Corporate
Social Responsibility

A message from Sophie Churchill,
Chief Executive of the National Forest Company

"With climate change and other environmental issues at the forefront of everyone's minds, The National Forest provides a unique place where your company can make a difference and meet some of your environmental and social responsibility objectives.

Not many corporate social responsibility options give you the satisfaction of being part of one of the boldest regeneration projects in the country. The National Forest is a real place - not only of 7 million trees but also towns, villages and 200,000 people, so you could be making a real difference.

We can help in offsetting your carbon and give you and your employees the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping to create a truly special place in the centre of England. I hope you and your company get involved in this place of tranquillity and adventure - and that we help you meet your objectives too."

Climate Change

Climate change is happening now. The National Forest Company has produced a colourful and informative guide to illustrate how trees can help offset the effects of the greenhouse gas emissions.

• Read more: Locking up our Carbon

Carbon Reduction with The National Forest

Since The National Forest project was launched in 1991, woodland cover across the 200 square miles of The National Forest has increased from 6% to just under 18% today.

It has restored the landscape and helped turn round the economy of former mining areas. It continues to grow as a national example of best practice in forestry, in changing the landscape at a large scale, and in sustainable development. Since 1991 some 5,900 hectares of new woodland have been planted.

The National Forest is in the centre of England, accessible from main transport routes. You can visit it, be part of it, enjoy it, and contribute to its creation whilst at the same time improving the environmental profile of your company.

The Carbon Trust has published a ‘Carbon Footprinting’ guide that provides a simple background to how a carbon footprint is calculated and offers advice to businesses and public sector organisations on how to assess their total carbon impact. There is a free advice available:

The Carbon Trust

0800 085 2005

Carbon Trust

Reducing your Carbon Footprint

Some companies wish to reduce the impact of their carbon emissions as part of their support of the Forest. We strongly endorse tree planting as part of a wider effort to reduce emissions and as part of high quality forest creation.

We encourage companies we work with to regard tree planting as part of a wider programme of corporate social and environmental responsibility, which includes, for example, waste and energy management.

Trees absorb carbon. The National Forest Company has calculated the likely carbon absorption of its trees, based on the ‘real life’ of a hectare of our woodlands, allowing for thinning. We have taken into account the species mix, soil type, growth rates and age of the woodland.

Tree planting cannot in itself solve the carbon issue. But it does make a real contribution and by working with us you are helping to make a stronger landscape which will help habitats and wildlife to adapt to climate change.

What’s more, support for our environmental education helps the Forest become an open air classroom for many children from surrounding cities as well as from the Forest, building a next generation committed to reducing its environmental footprint.

Calculating Carbon Uptake in The National Forest

Carbon sequestration (uptake) by woodland planted in The National Forest is calculated by the Centre for Environment and Hydrology. The centre’s carbon accounting model was developed to monitor carbon sequestered from woodlands for the UK Government’s figures, and this model is the one used by the National Forest Company.

It is assumed that a typical hectare (c2.5acres) of new woodland will comprise planting of oak, ash, birch and shrubs on 80% of the area, with the other 20% open grassland. Using Forestry Commission figures of the likely amount of wood yielded, the mass of carbon accumulated over 80 years in the trees and soils of the planted area is estimated.

In a 1ha mixed broadleaved woodland (as described above) it is estimated that, over the 80 year period of a woodland rotation, 127 tonnes of carbon would be accumulated. (No account is taken of any carbon in wood products removed from the forest as thinnings during the rotation). Translating this in terms of vehicle emissions, the number of miles offset on average every year by the 1ha woodland, calculated over 80 years, would be about 16,000 (for a larger vehicle) and 30,000 (for a small car).

• On average, each tree will sequester 79 kg of carbon, equivalent to 290 kg carbon dioxide, over 80 years.
• The average total cost of 1 hectare of Forest is £20,000, giving a figure of £157 per tonne of carbon sequestered.

However up to 50% is the cost of acquiring land, which typically is met by the National Forest Company, so that a contribution to carbon sequestration from the point of tree planting, costs in the order of £80 a tonne of carbon.

At the end of the 80 year rotation, some of the carbon stored in the wood will be lost at the time of felling (e.g. timber residues used for wood chip fuel). Much however will remain locked in the timber so its release back into the atmosphere will depend on the timber use, bearing in mind that oak timber used in construction and furniture may last for centuries. Over the long-term, woodland therefore shows a cyclical pattern in its carbon storage depending on the stage in its rotation between planting and felling.