How are the SNP supporting woodland creation?

Forests and woodlands are a natural powerhouse and among Scotland’s most valuable rural assets. Our ambition is for them to expand and flourish.

Growing our forests is also key to tackling the climate emergency we are facing. Currently, around 12 million tonnes of CO2 are absorbed by Scotland’s forests every year, and increasing the size of our forests and woodlands means we can store even more greenhouse gases.

The SNP Scottish Government continues to lead the way in woodland creation and tackling the climate emergency – with more than half of all trees planted in the UK last year being in Scotland.

Over 8,000 hectares of new forests and woodlands were created in Scotland during 2024/25 -more than England, Wales, and Northern Ireland combined.

More than 1,200 hectares of degraded rainforest habitat are nothroughw on the road to recovery thanks to SNP Scottish Government funding. Almost £5 million has already been invested in rainforest restoration since 2023 and a further £5 million for ongoing restoration efforts was allocated as part of the 2025/26 Budget.

Protecting our rainforests is essential to tackling our biodiverthroughsity crisis but is also an important step in helping Scotland on its journey to net zero by 2045.