UK rural land risks being forested over in corporate ‘greenwashing’

UK Agriculture at Risk of Forestation by Conglomerates, Warns Minister

Agricultural land in England is at risk of being forested over by big conglomerates under the guise of combating climate change, the UK’s farming minister has warned.

Mark Spencer told the Financial Times in an interview that the UK had to take care not to let too much farmland be turned over to tree planting and other carbon offsetting schemes for the sake of corporate “greenwashing”.

“We need to be wary of what we’re using land for and we can’t allow that sort of greenwashing,” said Spencer. “If we’re not careful Shell and British Airways will buy all the land in England and just plant trees on it to offset their carbon [emissions].”

• Land agents have seen an increase in buyers looking for land for rewilding, tree planting and other environmental schemes, as companies race to meet net zero emissions targets and reduce their emissions by purchasing carbon “offsets”.
• Each offset — or credit — represents a tonne of carbon dioxide emissions avoided or removed from the atmosphere, and are acquired through investments in environmental restoration and protection.
• Oil and gas companies, airlines and car manufacturers are among the world’s biggest users of offsets.

But the carbon offset market is under increased scrutiny, with climate activists and researchers arguing that counting systems are not accurate enough, and that many projects do not remove carbon from the atmosphere as effectively or for as long as they claim to.

“Clearly, that’s not where we want to end up. That’s not the model that we’ve created,” Spencer said, referring to the sale of agricultural land for carbon offsetting schemes. He added that the government had the levers to ensure the system was not exploited.

In March, the government published a Nature Markets framework, announcing it wanted to scale up the flow of private finance to nature, while ensuring “markets operate with integrity and avoid adverse effects”.

In order to meet its net zero targets, the government’s climate advisers said the UK would need to increase its forest cover from 13 to 17 per cent by 2050.

Industry and environmental groups have warned that farmers, who are struggling with soaring input costs and operating on wafer-thin margins, could be tempted to sell their land instead of growing food.

Tom Bradshaw, the National Farmers’ Union deputy president, said: “We must ensure that farmland isn’t taken permanently out of production and continues to deliver food, fibre and energy for the nation.”

A report by the environmental think-tank Green Alliance earlier this year said the phaseout of the subsidies farmers received under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy could lead to farm insolvencies and the consolidation of smaller farms.

Hill farm plots and bare agricultural land in Wales and Scotland have already been sold for tree-planting schemes.

Last year, the Welsh Affairs Committee called on the Welsh and UK governments for greater transparency and regulation of the sale of viable farmland for carbon offsetting, warning that farmers were being priced out.

Average arable land values in England and Wales increased 6.4 per cent to £9,517 an acre in the year to June, according to Carter Jonas. The supply of new farmland is at a historic low — 29 per cent below the 10-year average in the three months to June, the estate agent said.

Andrew​ Chandler, partner at Carter Jonas, said it was “early days for an emerging market” but that the demand from buyers was there.

British Airways said it had never purchased land to plant trees in order to offset its emissions and that the carbon offsetting projects it invested in were high quality and fully verified.

Shell said that “carbon credits are an important method of helping compensate for carbon emissions that come from the production of many things and their use, including by Mr Spencer,” adding that the company had “no intention of doing what he suggests”.

Climate Capital

Where climate change meets business, markets and politics. Explore the FT’s coverage here.

Are you curious about the FT’s environmental sustainability commitments? Find out more about our science-based targets here

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land

The article discusses the risk of agricultural land being forested over for carbon offsetting schemes, which is connected to climate action (SDG 13) and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also mentions the potential impact on farmland and the need to ensure that land continues to deliver food, fiber, and energy, which is connected to life on land (SDG 15) and the sustainable use of land resources.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
• SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services.

The article highlights the need for careful land use planning and policies to prevent excessive forestation for carbon offsetting schemes, which aligns with SDG 13.2. It also emphasizes the importance of sustainable land use and the need to avoid permanent removal of farmland from production, which aligns with SDG 15.1.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 13.2: Existence of national policies or strategies integrating climate change measures.
• Indicator for SDG 15.1: Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas.

The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators, but it implies the need for indicators related to the existence of national policies or strategies that integrate climate change measures (SDG 13.2). Additionally, the article highlights the importance of protecting important sites for biodiversity, which can be measured by the proportion of these sites covered by protected areas (SDG 15.1).

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: ft.com

Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.