E.ON Next is helping to support the Woodland Trust through our latest charity partnership. Find out about the incredible work they are doing, why our ancient woodlands are so important, and what we are doing to help.
Our partnership.
At E.ON Next we believe great things happen when we work together. That’s why we’re proud to partner with the Woodland Trust to support their work protecting and restoring ancient woodlands across the UK.
Choose one of our fixed-term tariffs and we’ll make a one-off donation to the Woodland Trust* on your behalf.
Our partnerships are an important part of what we do. That’s why we’re proud to add the Woodland Trust to our incredible line-up of charity partners. Together with Mind we are already promoting better mental health for customers and colleagues, alongside incredible fundraising efforts from our colleagues to support essential mental health services. We are collaborating with Teach the Future on their mission to improve climate education in the UK by raising awareness about eco-anxiety in young people and signposting resources to help them turn their eco-emotions into positive climate action. With Kidney Care UK we are helping vulnerable customers find support through the Priority Services Register and beyond. By joining forces with the Woodland Trust we believe we have also found the right partner to help positively influence the environment we all share.
All that teamwork has us simply brimming with positive energy. Just think of what we can achieve together!
Why we’ve teamed up with the Woodland Trust.
Plants naturally absorb carbon dioxide from our atmosphere through photosynthesis. Just like we need to breathe oxygen, plants need CO2 to create energy to live. They store this carbon throughout their life, until it is gradually released again as they decompose. This process is called carbon sequestration or carbon storage. Watch the Woodland Trust’s simple video guide to photosynthesis and carbon storage.
Trees are particularly great at carbon storage, as they can live a really, really long time. In fact the oldest tree in the UK is believed to be between 2,000 - 3,000 years old.1 That means it was around during the Roman Empire! The longer a plant lives for, the longer the carbon they have captured remains stored - preventing it from polluting our atmosphere.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that ancient woodlands are hugely important carbon stores. In fact, the Woodland Trust’s estate is currently storing over 5.9 million tonnes of CO2 in its woodlands - absorbing over 67,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. They estimate that a whopping 213 million tonnes of carbon is being stored by living trees in total across the UK.2
But their benefits don’t end there. Over the course of their long lifespan, ancient trees and woodlands develop into crucial habitats for thousands of species of plants, funghi, and animals.3 These habitats can take hundreds of years to form, making these ancient woods irreplaceable to the local ecosystem.
Almost 40% of the UK’s ancient woodland is under threat from non-native trees and plants.4 Sadly, that’s not the only threat they face. Ancient woodlands are being damaged and lost due to man-made developments as well. It is vital that we take action to support the protection and restoration of these hardworking natural environments through projects such as those run by the Woodland Trust.
Learn more about ancient woodland restoration.
Who is the Woodland Trust?
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity. They’re working to build a global vision ‘where woods and trees thrive for people and nature’.
Founded in 1972, they have been protecting the UK’s native trees and woodlands for more than 50 years, with the help of their 500,000 members. Currently, the Woodland Trust owns over 1,000 areas of woodland across the UK, that are free for anybody to visit.
Thanks to the help of donations and volunteers, they’re able to plant millions of trees every year5 - creating and restoring important habitats for local wildlife.
The Woodland Trust takes action to create, protect, restore, and care for woodlands across the UK:
Create. Planting trees and creating new woodland areas. Only around 13% of the UK is covered by woodland - well below the 37% EU average.6 So far, The Woodland Trust has planted around 55 million trees.7 And they’re aiming to plant another 50 million trees in the next 5 years.8
Protect. Fighting to protect ancient woodlands and native tree species. The Woodland Trust campaign policymakers to prevent loss and strengthen protections. They also identify and care for ancient trees and native species against pests and disease.
Restore. Revitalising damaged ancient woodlands and restoring natural ecosystems. Around 40% of ancient woodlands have been planted with non-native trees9, which can damage the ecosystem and cause a decline in native species. The Woodland Trust is working with landowners to sensitively restore their ancient woodlands.
Care. Maintaining free access to woodlands across the UK. The Woodland Trust has more than 1,000 woods that it looks after so visitors can continue to enjoy them free of charge. Find a local woodland near you.