Greenwood Plants partners with Royal Horticultural Society and Sheffield University on pioneering research study into carbon accounting of nursery stock

Greenwood Plants is partnering with the Royal Horticultural Society and Sheffield University on unique research into the carbon accounting of nursery stock for urban greening.

The industry/charity/university collaboration will run until 2028, examining the carbon sequestration and storage potential of nursery grown trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants for cultivated green spaces. Focussing on key native and non-native species grown in the UK, the research will assess the carbon balances of selected species, from initial propagation through different stages of growth and maturity, to refine a model to predict the longer term carbon balances of these plant groups.

“Greenwood is committed to driving environmental change, and undertaking important research projects like this will provide valuable insight for the entire industry. We’re looking forward to learning more about the carbon benefits of the plants we grow as the study progresses”, said Melanie Asker, Greenwood Plants Managing Director.

In February, Greenwood welcomed Louis Kosowicz, the PhD student leading the project, as well as Professor Jill Edmondson, specialist in Ecosystem Sustainability at the University of Sheffield, and RHS Head of Environmental Horticulture, Dr Mark Gush, to their Fresh Acres headquarters, to tour the facilities.

Dr Mark Gush said “The RHS is delighted to collaborate with Greenwood Plants and Sheffield University on this project, which addresses a crucial knowledge gap. Enhancing our ability to predict the carbon dynamics of nursery grown plants as they establish will be an important contribution to environmental horticulture, helping quantify its benefits across wider scales.”

The University of Sheffield is one of the leading plant research universities in the world, with a commitment to sustainability, and a focus on excellence. Study supervisor Dr Jill Edmonson, specialises in urban ecology and soil and carbon budgeting.

Greenwood aims to demonstrate its commitment to mitigating climate change by investing into this important research, to enable greater understanding of the carbon dynamics and long term benefits of specific cultivars of plants, and provide valuable data to help inform more sustainable planting. Greenwood has recently developed the next phase of their sustainability strategy, with a commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

If you’d like to find out more about Greenwood’s sustainability strategy, please visit https://greenwoodplants.co.uk/sustainability/