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

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Britain’s agricultural land is at risk of being cleared by large corporate groups under the guise of fighting climate change, the agriculture minister has warned.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mark Spencer said that the UK must be careful not to use too much farmland for tree planting and other carbon offset projects in order to “greenwash” companies.

“We need to be vigilant about how our land is used, and we cannot allow this greenwashing,” Spencer said. “If we’re not careful, Shell and British Airways will buy up all the land in England and plant trees on it to offset carbon (emissions).”

Land agents are seeing an increase in buyers looking for land for rewilding, tree planting and other environmental projects as companies race to meet net-zero emissions targets and reduce emissions by buying carbon “offsets.”

Each offset (or credit) represents one ton of carbon dioxide emissions avoided or removed from the atmosphere and is earned through investments in environmental restoration and conservation.

Oil and gas companies, airlines and automakers are the world’s largest users of offsets.

But the carbon offset market is coming under increasing scrutiny, with climate activists and researchers arguing that the counting system is not accurate enough and that many projects are not removing carbon from the atmosphere as effectively or sustainably as they claim.

“Obviously, this is not the outcome we want. This is not the model we created,” Spencer said, referring to selling agricultural land for carbon offset programs. He added that the government had the means to ensure the system was not exploited.

In March this year, the government released the Natural Markets Framework, announcing that it wanted to expand the flow of private finance to nature while ensuring “markets operate with integrity and avoid adverse impacts”.

To meet the net zero target, government climate advisers say the UK needs to increase forest cover from 13% to 17% by 2050.

Industry and environmental groups have warned that farmers, struggling with soaring input costs and razor-thin profits, may be tempted to sell their land rather than grow food.

“We must ensure farmland does not permanently cease production and continues to provide food, fiber and energy to the country,” said Tom Bradshaw, vice president of the National Farmers Union.

Agriculture Secretary Mark Spencer: ‘If we’re not careful, Shell and British Airways will buy all the land in England and plant trees on it to offset carbon (emissions)’ ©James Manning/PA

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

Mountain farmland and bare farmland across Wales and Scotland have been sold off for tree planting schemes.

Last year, the Welsh Affairs Council called on the Welsh and UK governments to increase transparency and regulation of the sale of viable farmland for carbon offsets, warning farmers were being priced out.

Carter Jonas said the average value of arable land in England and Wales increased by 6.4% in the year to June to £9,517 an acre. Estate agents say the supply of new farmland is at an all-time low – 29 per cent below the ten-year average in the three months to June.

Carter Jonas partner Andrew Chandler said it was “still early days in emerging markets” but the demand from buyers was there.

British Airways said it has never purchased land to plant trees to offset its emissions and that the carbon offset projects it invests in are of high quality and well proven.

A Shell spokesman said “carbon credits are an important way to help offset the carbon emissions that arise from the production and use of many items, including Mr Spencer’s”, adding that the company had “no intention of acting on his advice”.