Scots minister urges world leaders to follow tree planting initiative

WORLD leaders were yesterday urged to follow Scotland's example after ministers pledged to plant 100 million trees to cut carbon emissions.

The promise is part of a global drive to plant one billion trees by 2015, supported by Climate Group states and regions including California, Quebec and Catalonia.

Climate change minister Stewart Stevenson made the commitment at a conference in Edinburgh on energy challenges.

He said: "Tackling climate change will require a huge international effort and this tree-planting initiative will make an important contribution to reducing global emissions.

"Greater forest cover will help cut emissions through either absorbing or by providing more sustainable materials for construction and renewable energy.

"Scotland is leading action on climate change and the rest of the world must follow our lead."

Targets to reduce emissions by 42 per cent by 2020 were agreed by the Scottish Parliament last year as part of legislation to tackle climate change.

The tree-planting pledge will increase Scotland's forest area by 3.7 per cent and equates to planting about 10,000 hectares a year.

The Climate Group States and Regions was formed in 2005 and aims to persuade governments, businesses and communities worldwide to plant a tree for everyone on the planet.

They hope the planting programme will help make up for the millions of trees lost to deforestation in the tropical regions in recent years.