Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Require developers felling trees to fund reforestation projects

Closed 1,589 signatures

What the petition asks

Tree growth is an effective means of trapping carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The UK has one of the lowest forested areas in Europe.

Mature trees are lost in housing and infrastructure development.

We want Parliament to legislate to ensure these trees are adequately replaced.
New forests absorb carbon dioxide, help biodiversity and help the UK to meet its carbon footprint target.

At present, a mature tree lost in the course of a development is replaced, if at all, by a sapling on site. The net loss of carbon trapping is detrimental to the local environment and the atmosphere.

There would be a formula whereby the funding for replacement saplings depends on the size of the tree lost.

The national and global benefits of more forestation will accrue wherever it is done.

Timeline

15 Mar 2021 Petition opened for signatures
15 Sep 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 1,589
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 15 Mar 2021
Closed 15 Sep 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.