Confor Chair expresses concerns to CCC

Dear Lord Duncan,

Thank you for your letter regarding the recent announcement by the Scottish Government on the decision to reduce the funding budget allocated to woodland planting in Scotland.

The Climate Change Committee has previously advised that a rapid increase in woodland creation is required to support the land use sector’s contribution to Net Zero targets. New woodlands show a time lag before they become effective in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. Any delay in delivering tree planting in the near-term will risk not achieving the emissions reduction required to meet targets in the 2030’s and beyond.

The Scottish Government had committed to a target of 18,000 hectares in 2024/25, while the Committee has recommended in its advice that planting rates of 15,000 hectares be reached and maintained in Scotland from 2025 onwards. Though the creation of new woodland in Scotland currently exceeds the rest of the UK combined, rates of planting have declined since 2020, with only 8,200 hectares reported in 2022/23.

The 9,000 hectares of new woodland creation forecast as possible under the coming year’s budget cuts represents a continued gap in Scotland meeting its tree planting ambition. The Committee has serious concerns about the Scottish Government’s planned cuts to the woodland creation budget, at a time when the Scottish Government continues to underperform against the recommended planting rates. Alongside direct grant support, a comprehensive plan is needed to overcome barriers to woodland creation, and should address skills, contractor and nursery capacity and support land manager access to private finance.

The Scottish Government is expected to publish a draft of its refreshed Climate Change Plan in 2024. This Plan will need to set out a comprehensive strategy outlining the actions and policies required, as well as how these will work together to achieve Scotland’s emissions targets. The CCC intends to assess this Plan when it is released as part of our Scottish Progress Report later this year. Through these annual progress reports, we will also continue to examine progress on policy development, implementation, and delivery. This includes considering the impact on Net Zero of relevant decisions taken in the Scottish Government’s budgets, including for woodland creation.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Stark
Chief Executive
Climate Change Committee