Confor welcomes increased Scottish tree planting target
19 January 2017Confor has welcomed new Scottish government plans to increase its annual tree planting target from 10,000ha to 15,000ha by 2025 – a growth from around 22 million to 33 million trees every year.
Confor described the news – revealed to the Scottish Parliament as part of the Scottish government’s draft climate change plan ¬– as “enormous ambition” for the forestry and timber sector.
The new targets are: 12,000ha hectares of new woodland from 2020-21 (around 26.5 million trees); 14,000ha of new woodland from 2022-23 (just over 32 million trees); 15,000ha of new woodland from 2024-25 (about 33 million trees).
The government also revealed plans to increase the use of Scottish wood products in construction from the current level of 2.2 million cubic metres to 2.6 million cubic metres by 2021-22 and 3 million cubic metres by 2031-2.
“It is great to see such enormous ambition for forestry and timber displayed by the Scottish government,” said Stuart Goodall, chief executive of Confor.
He said the announcements show how forestry and timber can deliver rural jobs and play a major part in reducing carbon in the atmosphere.
“I am delighted that the potential for the greater use of timber in construction has also been identified,” Mr Goodall added.
“Off-site timber construction can play an increasingly significant role in providing the tens of thousands of warm, high-quality and sustainable homes that Scotland needs.”
The Scottish Parliament will host a debate on how to deliver on its ambitions for forestry on January 24.
