Overview
- Ministers will invite bids in early 2026 to choose a third national forest in the Midlands or the North of England.
- A proposed Woodland Carbon Purchase Fund, backed by up to £250 million, would give landowners upfront payments to plant carbon-rich woodlands.
- Detailed boundaries for the Oxford–Cambridge forest will be set with local partners to integrate green space with new homes, jobs and infrastructure.
- Officials say meeting tree-planting targets could create or support more than 14,000 jobs while advancing nature recovery and net zero.
- The announcement precedes the Prime Minister’s trip to COP30 in Brazil to underline the UK’s climate agenda.