Scotland's Climate Change Plan – 2026-2040 - Children's version

Section 7: Land use, land use change and forestry

Scotland’s land supports many needs. Land used for food production also helps remove greenhouse gases and provides the clean air and fresh water we need to live. Forestry and peatlands are important land-uses.

Key Policies in the Plan:

Scotland’s forests take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it as wood. They also protect the environment, increase biodiversity and support local communities. We will plant more trees each year until 2030 and maintain levels of woodland creation after that.

Land managers and farmers will plant more trees on their land in ways that strengthen existing agriculture and rural businesses. Financial support will be provided.

Scotland has around 2 million hectares of peatlands which are wetland ecosystems that have developed over thousands of years. They store carbon, support unique biodiversity and help to reduce flooding and keep our lochs, burns and rivers clean.

Peatlands are fragile and can be easily damaged, with around 70% of Scotland’s peatlands currently degraded. To reinstate the benefits they can offer, we will increase peatland restoration by 10% each year to 2030 and maintain levels after that leading to the restoration of more than 400,000 hectares by 2040.

Other policies will support the protection and management of peat, ban the sale of peat for horticulture and improve deer management.