George Ezra: Singer donates money to National Trust to plant 17,000 trees

The singer-songwriter is teaming up with YouTube to help the National Trust plant 17,000 trees

Singer-songwriter George Ezra has made a donation to the National Trust to plant around 17,000 trees across the UK.

The 28-year-old singer has teamed up with YouTube to give £85,000 to the conservation charity, which he hopes will help fight climate change and environmental decline.

The trees will create a new woodland that will lock in carbon, help reduce flooding and create homes for wildlife, the National Trust said.

The donation comes as the singer announced that he will be working with YouTube Music as "their Sustainability Partner for 2022".

The National Trust wants to plant 20 million trees by 2030

"I am conscious that creating, touring and promoting a record has an impact on the environment, so I am delighted to announce I will be working with YouTube Music as their Sustainability Partner for 2022," George Ezra said.

"They have very generously provided a significant financial contribution to support a cause of my choosing; this is going to be the National Trust, who are working hard to reverse the decline in nature and reduce the impact of climate change by planting trees and restoring landscapes.

"Together, we'll directly use this money to plant 17,000 trees across the UK."

The National Trust has said it wants to plant 20 million trees across England, Wales and Northern Ireland before 2030.

They're also looking for the public to get involved with the project which they hope will provide a greener future.

"We are enormously grateful to George for this donation, and it serves as an important reminder that only by a collective will and everyone playing their part will we help reverse some of the impacts of climate change and help the nation to reach net zero," said National Trust director general Hilary McGrady.

"This gift represents an important step as part of our ambition to try and tackle the effects of climate change.

"We are planting the trees in the right places to maximise the impact they will have in locking in carbon."