Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support research on (a) the effect of climate change on nature and (b) the carbon capture potential of woodland; and if he will hold discussions with the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research on the implications for his policies of research carried out in the northern hemisphere’s largest free-air CO2 enrichment facility.

The environment is facing unprecedented challenges, including climate change, and we recognise the importance of building resilience to these challenges. Climate change increases risks such as from pests, diseases and wildfires, and is likely to influence long term changes to habitat conditions. We are working to ensure that climate risks are embedded and addressed across government policy, including in our approach to nature protection and restoration, culminating in our third National Adaptation Programme due for publication in early 2023.

Defra funds relevant research through their Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs) including Forest Research (an Agency of the Forestry Commission) and Natural England, as well as engageing with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in identifying themes for research council spend, such as the current TreeScapes programme. We are also directly funding 3 projects this financial year (2021/22):

• Model Development for Carbon in Trees Outside Woodlands
• Aboveground Carbon in Natural Colonisation Woodland Sites
• Natural Woodland Colonisation and Soil Carbon

Furthermore, Defra is also overseeing a large Nature Based Solutions project designed to research and monitor the potential for diverse habitats to sequester carbon which is being led by Natural England.

Defra are supporting the work of the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) via Forest Research (FR) who are a project collaborator. We will consider opportunities for increased collaboration between FR, BiFor and Defra - including to discuss policy implications of the work BiFor are doing.