Climate change objectives welcomed

Lee Bruce of the Woodland Trust said that from the environmental viewpoint "it is welcome that the chancellor of the Exchequer reiterated the government's climate change objectives by committing to a 34 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2020".

"The ring fencing of a further £520m of new support for off-shore wind farms and £435m for energy saving measures is also a helpful step in the right direction," he added.

"However the main budget report causes the Trust concern. Defra's funding will be clipped by £381m, including an additional £75m on top of the savings outlined in the pre-Budget report. Whilst the precise implication of these plans remains unclear, there is a marked risk that Defra and its agencies could be starved of the funding needed to protect the natural environment. There is also the possibility of Defra being further marginalised at a time when the department should be an integral component in the government machinery.

"Finally, the economic crisis should not hide the perilous position our natural environment is in: Government concede that it will fail to meet their target to halt wildlife loss by 2010. Environmental decline is a genuine concern because the natural world provides a range of invaluable ecosystem services including improved air and water quality and green spaces for relaxation, reflection and recreation. One of our most valuable assets, ancient woodland, predates this crisis but the demands for infrastructure development continue to put pressure on this habitat. Let us hope that actions to restore confidence in the economy do not come at the expense of ancient woodland and the wider environment."