Forestry delivering real jobs and growth to rural Scotland
Sustainably planting trees, managing forests and creating timber products have a crucial role to play in tackling the climate crisis, says Stuart Goodall
Confidenceiskeytosomany things, including Scotland’s expanding forestry and wood processing sector. And when there’s change, a degree of uncertainty can be introduced.
The productive partnership between industry and Scottish Government over the last five years has been crucial to securing the current high level of business confidence, which has led to record investment, newjobsandruraleconomicgrowth.
Withanewgovernment,newministers and new portfolios, the sector is keen to understand whether that will be accompanied by any change inpolicy,oranychangetothepositive relationship central to this modernday Scottish success story.
Scotland is currently planting 80 per cent of the UK’S trees in modern, mixed-species forests which deliver multiple benefits and tackle the two great challenges of 2021 - recovery from Covid-19 and the climate crisis.
Our industry rose to the Covid-19 challenge to provide the wooden products needed to move medical supplies and food. Now, as Scotland looks to a green recovery from the pandemic, it is ready to play an even bigger part in a successful environmental and economic future.
With Scotland targeting a net zero balance of carbon emissions and reduction by 2045 (five years before the rest of the UK), planting trees, managing forests and creating timber products have a crucial role in tackling the climate crisis. Don’t take my word for it; the Climate Change Committee,independentadvisersto the UK and Scottish Governments, have said so repeatedly.
When setting out priorities for the new government, the First Minister led with a Covid recovery driven by ambitious plans for a modern, hightecheconomy.anyonewhohasseen a £500,000 harvesting machine in action, preparing logs to be sent to sawmillswhichutilisethelatesttechnology to ensure every bit of that log is used, knows this is a hi-tech industry. It is also increasingly crucial in providingwell-paidjobsinruralareas. That success has not gone unnoticed. England has looked enviously atscotland’ssuccessinplantingtrees and producing low-carbon wood products and the recent publication oftheenglandtreesactionplansignals a desire by the UK Government to raise its game. The Welsh Governmentrecognisesthecarbonandsustainability benefits of using wood in new homes and wants more of that to be Welsh. Unlocking the potential will require new investment.
Scotland has attracted record investment, including £95m by Norbordatitsinvernesspanelboardsite, oneofthelargestinwardinvestments in any industry in recent years. Scottish sawmillers are investing tens of millions of pounds, reassured there will be future supplies of wood.
With a new Scottish Government, wearelookingforcontinuity,tokeep confidence high and maintain the momentum that has helped create an industry delivering more than £1 billioninannualeconomicvalueand supporting 25,000-plus jobs. Forestryandwoodprocessingisdelivering real jobs and growth to all areas of rural Scotland and at the same time, playing a central role in delivering Scotland’s net zero ambitions.
With continued support around thecabinettable,theconfidenceand momentumwillremain,andtheeconomic and environmental benefits for Scotland will continue to flow. Stuart Goodall is Chief Executive of forestry and wood trade body Confor