Scottish public attitudes to tree planting and land use: polling
Findings indicate strong overall support for expanding woodland creation, even in the context of competing land pressures.
By Alasdair Johnstone
@A_SJohnstoneShare
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The polling shows that 72% of Scottish adults support significantly increasing tree planting across the country, including scenarios where this would involve converting some farmland to woodland.
This suggests a broad public willingness to consider land use change as part of climate and environmental strategies, provided it is managed appropriately.
Support for increased tree planting reflects wider public recognition of its potential benefits. The underlying analysis highlights that tree planting can contribute to carbon removal, biodiversity, and flood risk reduction, particularly as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events. Polling results indicate that these environmental functions are broadly understood and supported by the public.
The polling results sit alongside recent trends in tree planting rates and funding. This analysis notes that woodland creation in Scotland fell by 44% between the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 planting seasons, coinciding with a 41% reduction in funding for the Forestry Grant Scheme. This divergence between public support and recent delivery trends suggests a potential gap between policy outcomes and public preferences.
Overall, the polling indicates a clear majority in favour of expanding tree planting, including through integrated approaches such as agroforestry or targeting lower-productivity land. The findings are presented in the context of wider evidence and targets referenced in the original release, including Scotland’s long-term woodland creation goals and UK-wide projections for tree planting shortfalls.
Polling conducted by More in Common of 1,060 Scottish Adults (aged 16 and above) between 21st – 26th Apil 2026