Confor has called for forestry to play a more significant part in global environmental summits – as the world seeks a binding climate change agreement in Paris.
Mr Heald welcomed the commitment by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the recent World Forum on Natural Capital in Edinburgh, which attracted 500 delegates from almost 50 countries (including Mr Heald) to reaffirm the Scottish Government’s commitment to plant 100,000 hectares of woodland by 2022. He said this was “a challenging, but very achievable target”.
Technical Director Andrew Heald, writing in The Scotsman, said: “UK forestry hasn’t had a significant role in discussions on climate change or carbon storage. However, the UK is the third largest net global importer of timber and has woodland cover of only 12 per cent (one-third the EU average), so there is huge potential to do more.”
Forestry and timber processing was the ultimate carbon capture and storage industry, said Mr Heald, who continued: “If we can expand our woodland cover, environmental and economic benefits can go hand in hand.
