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1.4m tonnes of CO2 set to be locked by BP funded project

One of the largest carbon removal projects involving tree planting is the Scottish Forest Alliance.

The Woodland Trust's Glen Finglas was one woodland site to benefit from the allianceThe alliance was brought together more than 10 years ago by BP with the ambition of creating new native woodland habitats across Scotland in a landscape scale project that will last 200 years.

It saw £10 million invested by BP and a further £11 million donated by other sources to fund and manage 32,000 hectares of woodland across 14 sites and a further 10,000 hectares being created - enabling 1.4m tonnes of CO2 to be absorbed over the first 100 years of the project across all sites. 

A key element of it is the ground-breaking model for researching carbon uptake by native woods and trees which was developed to evaluate and demonstrate the contribution of sustainable forest projects to carbon sequestration in Scotland. The aim being to inform the development of government policies on climate change.

David Taylor from the Woodland Trust, said: "The 8.4 million trees which have and will be planted not only absorb CO2 but also create valuable wildlife habitats, aid flood alleviation, offer wind protection and create native woodland for people of all ages to enjoy.”

Each site will not only lock up carbon but will be an exciting place for people of all ages to visitThis year marks the 11th anniversary of the Scottish Forest Alliance, which brought together BP, Forestry Commission Scotland, RSPB Scotland and Woodland Trust Scotland.

The alliance is helping to create, enhance and sustain habitats for thousands of species and is contributing towards achieving targets for forest and woodland biodiversity, with an innovative new technique for monitoring biodiversity value as a new woodland grows.

Some of the other aims of the project were to promote social and economic gains for local communities and the wider population of Scotland, supporting rural jobs and giving people of all ages opportunities to enjoy greater access to and involvement with native woodlands.

By the end of 2012, the funding for planting and land management will stop, but the project lands will be committed to a course of forest re-creation for the full 200 years.

If you would like to find out more about the Scottish Forest Alliance, it’s pioneering work and its achievements click here

For more information on the Trust's Woodland Carbon product click here

BP invested £10 million into the creation of the Scottish Forest Alliance
The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading woodland conservation charity.

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