News that forestry will play a vital role in the Scottish Executive‘s strategy to combat climate change has been welcomed by the Forestry and Timber Association (FTA).
The commitment was made by Rhona Brankin, Scotland’s deputy minister for environment and rural development. In a statement she said: “As part of the process of developing new targets for combating climate change, we are looking at significant targets for planting in Scotland.”
FTA chairman James Hepburne Scott particularly welcomed the commitment to develop a Scottish Biomass Action Plan. He said he hoped it would include a new specific action by a specified date to instruct local authorities to carry out energy surveys of the buildings in their care, and for the installation of renewable energy technology in them.
Mr Hepburne Scott also urged the Scottish Executive to look at the funding problem at the Scottish School of Forestry at Inverness as “a matter of urgency”, saying young people must be encouraged into forestry at this time of rapid expansion.
He added: “We have a growing resource, the planned processing investment; we cannot afford to have a missing link in the supply chain on skilled, trained and educated people.
“The minister has highlighted that ‘development of the biomass sector is hugely important’ and the ‘huge potential for increasing employment in forestry in Scotland’ so we hope she will realise the urgency of the situation at Inverness, as there are some areas of Scotland where skilled labour in the industry is in danger of losing critical mass.”
