Summary
Scottish Forestry significantly contributed to sustainable economic growth in 2023–24 through woodland creation, carbon reduction, rural job support, pest management, and environmentally conscious timber transport initiatives.
Our statement on Sustainable Economic Growth 2023-24 includes:
- Woodland Creation: over 14,000 hectares of new woodland were approved, split evenly between productive timber forests and native tree planting.
- Economic Impact: forestry supports over 25,000 jobs and contributes more than £1 billion to Scotland’s economy.
- Climate Contribution: Scotland planted more trees than the rest of the UK combined, helping remove around 7.6 million tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere annually.
- Pest and Disease Management: over 1 million hectares of trees were surveyed to monitor and manage threats like Ash dieback.
- Transport Improvements: £4 million was invested in reducing the environmental impact of timber transport, including a shipping service that saved 432,000 lorry miles.
- Wellbeing Initiatives: events were held combining nature activities (like foraging and eco crafts) with wellbeing practices (like forest bathing and meditation).
