Saving the World by Killing
Communities in Wales? By Alun Lenny
Huge fires, devastating floods and rising sea levels are the obvious results of climate change. But one less obvious result is the way that large companies are buying farms in Wales to plant trees in order to create ‘carbon credits’ that enable them to continue polluting the environment whilst threatening the future of communities and the Welsh language in parts of the country. ALUN LENNY explains. Picture: Brechfa forest
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limate change is the biggest threat to humanity ever, and planting trees on an enormous scale is acknowledged as a progressive way of dealing with the situation, as trees swallow and store CO2, the greenhouse gas that contributes mainly towards global warming. The UK Climate Change Committee wants to see up to 120,000 hectares of trees planted in Wales between now and 2050. That is equivalent to 460 square miles.
Trees and the carbon credit trade Alongside the forest strategy, the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) was created. Under this scheme, a cap was put on large companies that produce high levels of CO2, along with a fine of £1,000 for every tonne of carbon that is over-produced. But it is possible for these companies to buy ‘carbon credits’ to counter the over-production and through that avoid paying any fines. A cheap and easy way (around £22 per tonne) is to buy the carbon credits in an auction from companies who buy land and plant trees on a huge scale in order to produce the credits – this is known as carbon offsetting. This is a market where there is great profits to be made in the name of saving the environment. As well as trading in carbon credits, these companies from outside Wales have already claimed £1.3 million pounds in grants under the Glastir Woodland Creation scheme run by the Welsh Government in order to plant more trees in our country. This public money derived from the pockets of taxpayers in Wales flows across Offa’s Dyke into the coffers of 26 INSiGHT OCTOBER 2021
international companies who are buying family farms to turn into vast forests.
Trees where there were communities Foresight, an investments company based in the Shard, London, has bought Frongoch, Brynglas and Esgair Hir, farms in the Cwrt y Cadno area, and Banc farm in the area nearby in order to plant trees. According to John Thomas, who lived at Frongoch all his life until three years ago, the land of Wales and the way of life is being sacrificed so that big companies can continue to pour carbon into the environment. Across the border in Powys, three farms in the Llanwrtyd area have been bought for the same reason. Susan Price, the former secretary for the congregational chapel in Llanwrtyd, said that the situation reminded her of the poet Gwenallt’s words in his poem ‘Rhydcymerau’ about ‘trees where there were communities, forests where there had been farms,’ as livelihoods, the language and communities disappear.
It is important that those who create the policies communicate with local communities and scientists in order to find the best way forward – Dr Bonnie Waring, Imperial College London.
