Surrey County Council has planted approximately 885,000 trees over the past five years, surpassing its original goal of 600,000, according to a newly released progress report on the authority's climate change initiatives.
The council's figures show that 116,359 trees were established during the 2025/26 financial year alone. This achievement forms part of a broader commitment to plant 1.2 million trees by 2030, with the council aiming to establish one tree for every resident across the county.
Despite the headline success, concerns have emerged about the long-term viability of the planting programme. Elmbridge Borough Council recently adopted a motion highlighting that many newly planted trees are failing to survive their first year due to inadequate aftercare and maintenance practices.
Survival rates raise questions
The survival challenge has prompted calls for a significant shift in approach. According to local reporting on the motion, Elmbridge's proposal urges the future East Surrey council to prioritise drought-tolerant species and to incorporate structured watering and aftercare schedules into all planting plans. Councillor Katerina Lusk, who represents Cobham and Downside as a Conservative councillor, articulated the concern bluntly.
There is little point celebrating the number of trees we plant if a significant number of them are dead a year later.
This criticism reflects a growing recognition that planting volume alone does not guarantee environmental benefit. Trees that die shortly after establishment consume resources without delivering the carbon sequestration, air quality improvements, or biodiversity gains that justify the investment.
Progress on broader climate targets
The council's report assessed the performance of its climate change delivery programme across the five-year period from 2021 to 2026. Beyond tree planting, the authority reported that it is broadly on track
to achieve its 2030 net zero emissions target, with carbon emissions reduced by approximately 60% to date.
A significant element of this progress has involved supporting residents in reducing their energy consumption and improving their homes. The council stated that more than 1,438 low-income households have received energy efficiency upgrades, encompassing insulation installation, solar panel systems, and low-carbon heating technologies.
The tree-planting initiative itself began in 2019 as part of the council's environmental strategy. According to the council's published progress tracking, the programme has involved planting on council-owned land, partner organisation sites, and other external locations across the county.
Challenges ahead
The council acknowledged that the climate change programme faces significant headwinds moving forward. The report noted that delivery has been significantly affected by external market conditions, supply chain constraints and wider economic pressures
. These factors have complicated efforts to maintain momentum on decarbonisation policies and infrastructure investment.
The tension between planting targets and tree survival rates suggests that future success will depend not merely on the number of saplings placed in the ground, but on the quality of planning, species selection, and ongoing management that determines whether those trees thrive or perish.
