The Scottish Government will have to plant nearly one million trees a day between now and New Year if it’s to meet its pledge on climate change.
Ministers said four years ago that they would plant 100 million trees by 2015 in order to meet green objectives.
However, in answer to a parliamentary question from Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser, it emerged that the SNP is currently 34 million short of that target.
That means it would need to plant 829,268 trees every day between now and January 1 to realise the goal.
When setting out the initiative, the Scottish Government said the 100 million trees scheme was key to cutting emissions, and would match a pledge made by other countries.
Then climate change minister Stewart Stevenson said Scotland was “leading international action” on the matter.
However, it has now emerged only 18.6 million conifers and 47.4 million broadleaves have been planted.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Conservatives revealed millions of trees had been pulled down across the country to make way for windfarm development.
Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser said:
“It’s clear the Scottish Government is falling very significantly short on this pledge.
“It’s typical of the bravado the SNP likes to adopt on green initiatives, which in reality prove futile and utterly unrealistic.
“The target set was unachievable, and the Scottish Government now has to explain why it made those ridiculous boasts back in 2010.
“And of course, not only is it falling short on planting pledges, but millions of trees are being hauled down in order to make way for windfarm development.
“It’s hardly a strong advert for a supposedly environmentally-minded government.”