Scotland created over 10,000 hectares of new woodland in the year to March 31, 2022 – the fourth year in a row that planting exceeded 10,000 hectares (around 25,000 acres in old money). Crucially, 60 per cent of these new forests will produce wood, a vital raw material in the fight against climate change and the basis for a £1 billion (and growing) Scottish industry.

Scotland planted three-quarters of all new woodland across the UK – 10,480 hectares in 2021/22 compared to just 2,260 in England, 580 in Wales and 540 in Northern Ireland, mirroring the pattern of recent years.

Outside Scotland, less than 400 hectares of new woodland was created that will produce new supplies of wood. Worryingly, this is far less than the area of wood-producing forests lost in these countries over the last year. I have written many times about the rising demand for wood we see at home and abroad, and the lack of new woodland creation taking place internationally.

Tree planting will help Scotland towards its ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2045. (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Trees don’t appear overnight, and the world is doing nothing to prepare for a future where we will use more wood as we seek to decarbonise housing and replace plastics with natural materials.

The OECD estimates that global timber demand will double by 2060. If UK consumption of wood continues to grow at the pace it has over the last decade, domestic demand will increase by a staggering 78 per cent by 2050.

While Scotland is doing well, the target was to plant 13,500 hectares last year and more this year, rising to 18,000 hectares of new woodland annually by 2024/5. As the head of the forestry and wood industry body, I’m committed to continue working very closely with the Scottish Government and Scottish Forestry to deliver this target.

Why? Because we all recognise that increased tree planting supports a wide range of Scotland’s policy objectives. It creates jobs and stimulates economic growth in rural areas, where wood processors are often one of the biggest local employers.

Tree planting also helps Scotland towards its ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2045. A large part of this, evidenced in numerous reports by the independent Climate Change Committee, is about ensuring a long-term supply of wood.

Well-designed planting can also reduce flood risks and provide places for people and wildlife - supporting biodiversity and offering opportunities for recreation.

So, in the face of all these benefits, what do we need to do to press on?

I will be talking to Confor members along the supply chain to establish what more can be done to ensure the strong demand for new woodland creation is translated into trees in the ground.

There is huge national support for tree planting, but we recognise that planting trees means a change to how land is managed, and to people’s surroundings. We are talking to forestry professionals responsible for engaging with stakeholders when a new planting scheme is proposed to establish how best we can support them to undertake that engagement, through dedicated training and by providing a suite of materials that help explain why we are planting more trees.

There will still be more to do as we want to continue to listen to and understand the interests of local communities and do what we can to develop a shared positive ambition for Scottish forestry and the wood products that we use in our everyday lives.

With political leadership from the Scottish Government and a strong, supportive relationship between industry, public forest bodies and ministers, planting targets are achievable - and Scotland’s environment and economy will be the better for it.

Stuart Goodall is Chief Executive of Confor: promoting forestry and wood: www.confor.org.uk

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Scotland still leading the UK on tree planting - Stuart Goodall

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