Surrey County Council has planted 885,000 trees over the past five years, surpassing its initial target of 600,000 as part of a climate change delivery programme launched in 2021. The authority aims to reach 1.2 million trees by 2030 while reducing its carbon emissions by roughly 60 percent.
More than 800,000 new trees have been planted across Surrey over the past five years, overshooting the initial goal set for the first phase of the local authority’s climate delivery plan. Surrey County Council’s climate change progress report analysed the first five years of the programme, which ran from 2021 to 2026.
The findings show that 116,359 trees were planted in the 2025/26 financial year alone, bringing the five-year total to around 885,000. That figure pushes past the initial benchmark of 600,000 trees for the opening phase. The initiative commits to placing 1.2 million trees across the county by 2030, amounting to one tree for every resident.
Council Evaluates Progress Across Climate Delivery Action Points
The progress report evaluated 74 distinct action points within the climate change delivery programme. Of those measures, 45 were delivered fully, 18 were partially completed, and 11 saw limited progress or were left undone.
The authority reports that it remains broadly on track
to meet its 2030 net zero targets. The council states that its direct carbon emissions have dropped by around 60 percent over the reporting period.
Council Upgrades Low-Income Household Energy Efficiency
A major success of the initiative involved lowering utility bills and upgrading home infrastructure for vulnerable residents. The report notes that these upgrades included insulation, solar installations, and low-carbon heating systems, backed by over 3,000 home visits from HEAT advisors who provided guidance and access to funding.
Elmbridge Borough Council Questions Tree Survival Rates
Elmbridge Borough Council recently passed a motion calling for the future East Surrey council to revise its tree strategy to focus heavily on survival rates rather than raw planting counts. The climate programme faced disruptions stemming from external market conditions, supply chain constraints, and economic pressures.
The motion noted that a notable share of trees planted in the borough are perishing within a single year due to a lack of proper aftercare. Councillors must still decide whether to approve the underlying climate report.
