Nature Restoration

Trees, Peatlands & Biodiversity

Scotland’s world-renowned forests and woodlands are a natural powerhouse, and one of the most important resources we have to tackle the climate emergency.

The SNP Scottish Government’s vision is to expand our woodlands to cover 21% of Scotland’s land area by 2032. In the 2023/24 period, Scotland accounted for 73% of the total new tree planting in the UK – significantly higher than England (22%), Wales (3%), and Northern Ireland (2%) – showing our commitment to reversing the historic decline in woodland creation.

In 2023, 30 million trees were planted in Scotland – more than an 80% jump from the year before. And last summer the First Minister opened a new £26 million facility to help grow more trees for Scotland’s forests and woodlands.

Newton Tree Nursery, near Elgin, will support Forestry and Land Scotland to almost treble their tree production – from seven million to nearly 20 million trees per year by 2029. It will help support the sustainable management of Scotland’s national forests and land and help tackle the climate emergency, while also supporting the rural economy.

More than 14,000 hectares of degraded peatlands were also restored across Scotland in 2024/25, helping to reduce carbon emissions and restore biodiversity.

The Scottish Government has pledged £250 million to support the restoration of 250,000 hectares of peatlands by 2030, with an interim target of 110,000 hectares by 2026. A total of 90,000 hectares have been restored since 1990 and 14,860 of those were completed throughout the 2024-25 financial year.

The SNP government has also dedicated funds to support temperate rainforests, Marine Protected Areas and numerous nature-enhancing projects through the Nature Restoration Fund. Established in 2021, the £65 million NRF has funded over 800 projects helping Scotland’s species, woodlands, rivers and seas back on the road to recovery.

Critically, Parliament recently passed the Scottish Government's Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill. For the first time, statutory targets will be in place to enhance nature and protect biodiversity in Scotland, and the legal framework for National Parks will be updated – particularly in light of their leadership role in tackling key environmental and societal challenges, including the nature and climate crises.