Can Planting Trees Really Help us Tackle Climate Change?

You may have heard how planting trees has mind-blowing potential to tackle climate change. Here, we examine the facts.

Through our partners Woodland Trust, National Forest, and Trees for Cities, we plant hundreds of trees every year and have learnt a great deal about why it matters. At Blooming Haus, sustainability is central to how we work – and tree planting is an integral part of that commitment.

Trees function as long-term carbon stores. Their special relationship with CO₂ makes them invaluable in the effort to address climate change: they remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, store it, and simultaneously release oxygen.

In one year, a mature tree absorbs around 22 kilograms of CO₂. A century-old tree could be storing upward of 2,200 kg of carbon.

Currently, there are around 3 billion trees in the UK. This is a significant number, but context matters: the average carbon footprint of a person in the United Kingdom is around 10 tonnes of CO₂ per year, which underlines how much further there is to go.

By planting more trees, we are able to harness each tree’s natural photosynthesis process, which removes CO₂ from the atmosphere and releases oxygen. The process allows a tree to convert light and water into the energy it needs while benefiting the environment around it.

This Woodland Trust video explains photosynthesis in more detail.

The relationship between trees and CO₂ makes a compelling case for tree planting. It also connects to a range of other environmental benefits.

Trees create and sustain ecosystems for wildlife. Their branches provide shelter and reproduction sites; their leaves, seeds, berries, and fruits are food and water sources for a wide variety of species – from birds to insects to mammals such as the red squirrel.

Tree roots draw water from the soil and, as they grow, create channels that rainwater flows into. These channels reduce the amount of water running off the land, making flash flooding less likely.

This is increasingly significant as flood risks are rising in England and Wales. Millions of people are now at risk of flooding due to climate change, population growth, and the reduction of green space. Hard surfaces such as concrete and tarmac cannot absorb water, and the shifting climate creates a heightened risk of unpredictable flood events.

There are legislative responses to these pressures. The UK government introduced an animal welfare action plan covering pets, livestock, and wild animals; the Action Plan for Animal Welfare recognises animals as sentient beings and includes measures to protect them. The Met Office also provides guidance on protecting homes from flooding.

Policy and protective measures matter, but trees address root causes directly. Expanding tree cover creates habitats for wildlife, improves soil absorption, and reduces run-off – each a meaningful contribution to protecting native species and reducing flood risks.

Given the role trees play in both carbon storage and habitat preservation, the case for expanding woodland and forest cover is clear. According to the Wildlife Trust, the need is both great and urgent.

The UK currently has 13% woodland cover – well below the EU average of 37%. The Wildlife Trust estimates that the UK’s coverage needs to increase by 19% if the country is to meet its carbon net zero targets by 2050.

The UK government provides guidance on creating woodland, including legal requirements, sustainable practices, and available funding. Many councils have also set their own tree-planting targets: Wirral council plans to plant 210,000 trees by 2030; Leeds City Council plans to double tree cover by 2050; and Surrey County Council plans to plant 1.2 million trees by 2030.

Engaging your local council about its tree-planting plans is one way to make a difference.

Despite these efforts, there remains much room for improvement. The Friends of the Earth map illustrates the opportunities for creating woodland in England. It is one reason we work with the Woodland Trust and The National Forest on tree-planting projects.

The Woodland Trust and The National Forest both provide resources to help people get involved with planting trees. The Woodland Trust video below covers practical advice on how to plant a tree.

You don’t need to be part of a large project to contribute. Planting a tree in your garden or on business premises is a meaningful step. For businesses, trees can also form part of a broader biophilic design approach – see our journal entry Biophilic Design for Businesses in London: Why it Matters for more on this.

Community groups and schools can apply for free trees from the Woodland Trust.

For those without the time or space to plant directly, donating to a relevant charity or seeking volunteering opportunities are both valuable alternatives. You can also dedicate a tree to be planted through organisations such as the Woodland Trust.

The causes of climate change are the subject of ongoing debate, with fossil fuels – coal, oil, and gas – and agriculture among the most frequently cited contributors. The United Nations notes that while the world naturally goes through periods of climate change, greenhouse gases exacerbate this change significantly.

The main greenhouse gases are methane, nitrous oxide, and the most prolific, carbon dioxide (CO₂). These contribute to what is known as the Greenhouse Effect – a process that allows sunlight in while preventing reflected heat from exiting the atmosphere. This keeps the Earth warm, but becomes problematic when gas levels rise too high and temperatures increase excessively.

National Geographic provides a detailed explanation of the Greenhouse Effect for those wishing to explore the science further.

Addressing global warming requires reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Research suggests this reduction needs to reach 80% by 2050 in developed countries to stay below an average temperature rise of 2ºC.

CO₂ is the most significant greenhouse gas, and the rise in emissions is largely due to human activities including generating power, manufacturing goods, and transportation.

The effects of these activities and associated emissions include higher temperatures, severe weather events, rising sea levels, and threats to animal species.

Governments and individuals are taking action, including adopting clean energy sources, adapting manufacturing processes, transitioning to electric vehicles, and planting trees. Trees play an essential role in fighting climate change through their relationship with CO₂, which helps remove it from the atmosphere.

Tree dedication is something we arrange at the completion of every client project. Each time we finish working with wedding couples or event planners, we dedicate a tree to be planted in The National Forest – a way of acknowledging the contribution of nature to our work while protecting and restoring biodiversity. Every year that we work with a corporate client, we dedicate a further tree to be planted, contributing to a more sustainable world and encouraging other businesses to consider their own environmental commitments.

Tree planting is one part of our broader sustainable working practices. We also use green energy to power our studio, compost all organic waste, avoid non-compostable materials, reuse buckets and delivery packaging, source flowers locally where possible, collaborate with suppliers approved by organisations such as the Soil Association and Rainforest Alliance, and use probiotic cleaning products where possible.

Our commitment to protecting the environment is reflected in our partnerships with organisations such as Ecologi, The National Forest, and the Wildlife Trust – each of which shares our belief that planting trees is essential to addressing climate change.

For wedding or event floral design that is both considered and sustainability-focused, we’d be glad to hear from you. We visit venues in person and work from sketches made on site, ensuring our designs are suited to their setting from the outset. Every project is guided by sustainable working practices throughout.

Get in touch at contact@bloominghaus.com or call 020 3389 9609.

For further information on tree planting and its role in addressing climate change, the websites of the Woodland Trust and Friends of the Earth are both well-resourced starting points.