Monday, April 20, 2026
A new report confirms that the Scottish Government’s relatively modest investment in forestry delivers substantial benefits for Scotland, including economic growth, rural jobs, climate action, and biodiversity.
Importantly, the report also challenges and refutes the findings of the 2024 inquiry into public financial support for tree planting and forestry, conducted by Professor Ian Wall FRSE for the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). The new analysis was authored by Dr Andrew Cameron, Emeritus Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen’s Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences.
“I strongly welcome this report,” said Confor CEO Stuart Goodall. “It highlights the significant public value delivered by the Scottish Government’s support for the forestry sector, which remains a long-term national asset for Scotland. Stuart added further.
“It also provides a comprehensive critique of the RSE report. When it was published, I stated clearly that I believed the report to be deeply flawed and quoted a number of experienced academics in support of that view. This further, in-depth critique by Dr Cameron is very timely given that we have unfortunately seen some people in political circles being influenced by the RSE report.”
Dr Cameron’s report highlights the substantial benefits delivered by Scotland’s forestry and timber sector, noting that government investment in productive forestry—around £41.2 million in 2022–23—accounts for just 0.001% of the national budget, a relatively small sum with significant impact.
It further emphasizes that public support for woodland creation and forest management is crucial for sustaining rural economies, accelerating carbon capture, and strengthening domestic timber supplies—key contributions from an industry that generates over £1.1 billion annually for the Scottish economy and supports more than 34,000 rural jobs.
Stuart added: “Planting more forests with the right trees to increase the supply of Scottish timber will lock up carbon and unlock investment in tree planting, timber processing and manufacturing, stimulating economic growth across Scotland, and help tackle the cost-of-living crisis and the climate and housing emergencies.
“At a time when political parties are thinking about the next Government in Scotland, this significant new report reinforces the importance of robust evidence when assessing forestry’s contribution to Scotland’s economic growth, to tackling climate and nature emergencies and related challenges such as housing.”
The report’s themes align closely with Confor’s Scottish election manifesto, “Timber is the Future.” The document emphasises that building more and better homes, driving economic growth and job creation, and addressing climate change will be among the next Scottish Government’s top priorities—and highlights that Scotland’s forestry and timber sector can deliver on all three simultaneously.
In the manifesto’s preface, Stuart Goodall cites Sir David Attenborough, who noted in his ‘Our Planet’ series the need to create new forests to increase sustainable wood production.
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