As everyone who works in the sector knows, forestry and timber processing is one of the hidden gems of the Scottish economy, with a particularly important role in rural Scotland. In 2015 a study by CJC Consulting, commissioned by the then Forestry Commission Scotland, quantified the contribution of the sector to the economy at E1 billion GVA, creating 25,000 FTE jobs in the process, and there is an ambition to double that by 2030. Since then, timber harvesting has increased and woodland creation hasrisen, with n,20oha of new planting in 2018/19. Woodland creation is viewed by the Scottish Government (SG) as a key part of its response to achieving its Net Zero 2045 targets, as trees lock up carbon and produce sustainable building materials needed to meet our rising housing demands.
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