Trees planted to help achieve net zero increase Scotland's carbon emissions

Trees planted with taxpayers' money to help Scotland reach net zero are actually contributing to the nation's carbon emissions, research shows. Millions of pounds are being spent carpeting thousands of acres of land with conifers on the grounds that they will lock CO2 out of the atmosphere. But a new report shows that the many forests emerging across the country are likely to increase the risk of climate change. Vast areas of peatland are dug up and drained to plant trees, releasing a flood of stored carbon into the environment. In an article published in a journal Land Use Policy states: “We planted the wrong type of forest in the wrong place and used the wrong techniques. Industry promotes coniferous forests as carbon positive; Yet many plantations emit carbon.” The author, forestry consultant Mary-Ann Smyt of Castle Douglas, warns: “Most of Scotland's forestry was (and still is) planted on organic, peaty soils. The problem is acute in south-west Scotland, where forested springs contain high levels of organic carbon and deadly spikes in acidity. “If we want forests to store carbon for centuries, we need to move away from draining and disturbing peatlands to accommodate plantations. (sundaypost,  Mark Howarth)