03 Jun 2010 04:06:13

Forestry industry 'to benefit from low carbon economy'

The forestry industry is set to benefit from the UK's transition towards a low carbon economy.

Speaking at a conference for industry members, Richard Lochhead, Scotland's cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment, said that there are good prospects for the forestry industry.

Growth of 300 per cent has been seen in the market for wood fuel in the past five years alone.

Mr Lockhead explained that huge increases are expected in the timber harvest in the next decade, which will be used for both construction and home fuel, stating that "the sector is looking strong for the foreseeable future".

He highlighted that it was important for Scotland to increase the levels of planting taking place.

"This is important to maintain sustainable economic growth and to ensure that we mesh this with our commitments to reduce our carbon emissions and tackle the effects of climate change," Mr Lockhead said.

The conference was organised by the Forestry Commission Scotland and ConFor (the Confederation of Forest Industries) and was attended by members of the construction, energy, forestry, land use and agriculture sectors.

UK climate change minister Greg Barker recently attended a conference about climate change and forestry, highlighting that stopping deforestation is important for keeping global temperatures down.