ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the land-use changes likely to be prompted by the UK’s commitment to net zero emissions. Expanding forestry so that its coverage of our land mass rises from 13 to 18–19 per cent is itself a significant change, requiring that at least 30,000 hectares and possibly up to 50,000 hectares of new forest be planted each year until 2050. In addition, the switch to energy crops and any reduction in the number of farm livestock will also change the way our land is used. The chapter explores the debates about how best this part of the UK’s shift can be managed, with a twin emphasis on the science and politics of land-use change.
