TO mark National Tree Week, which runs until this Saturday, Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership (LEDP) has announced that it will support the planting of 27,000 native Irish woodland trees across Limerick over the next five years.
According to chief executive Niall O’Callaghan, LEDP has committed to embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of its new strategic plan.
The planting of 27,000 trees, which will offset over 4,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over a 100 year period, is one of a number of initiatives that will allow the organisation meet its environmental responsibilities.
The total number of trees to be planted represents 1,000 trees for each year of LEDP’s existence up to and including the lifetime of the strategic plan in 2026.
LEDP is supporting the planting programme through the Department of Agriculture’s Woodland Environment Fund (WEF), which is an initiative under which Irish businesses can partner with landowners and the Department to help create new native woodlands.
The scheme provides additional incentives to plant new native woodlands and supports the Government’s target to plant 22 million new trees a year until 2040.
Mr O’Callaghan said that LEDP wanted to meet its environmental responsibilities by preserving biodiversity and reducing its carbon footprint.
“Planting 27,000 trees in the next five years forms part of our wider sustainability strategy and means we can support the Government initiative which will have a long-lasting positive impact for our community and region.”
The trees will be planted in various locations across Limerick as identified by LEDP’s partner SWS Forestry Services in conjunction with the Woodland Environmental Fund Scheme.
The native tree plantations will create a wildlife corridor for native species and enable grassland to revert to more natural vegetation, further enhancing biodiversity in the area.
