Scotland is one of the least wooded countries in Europe. BP, through the Scottish Forest Alliance, is working to address this great loss to the landscape and the biodiversity it supports. A £10 million funding pledge from BP will enable up to 10,000 hectares of sustainably managed woodland to be created
The project is delivered in partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland, Woodland Trust Scotland and RSPB Scotland. BP’s investment in the sustainable management of native woodlands has allowed these partners and local communities to work with each other much more effectively and thus extend the benefits derived both locally and nationally. This has included improved consultation, provision of information and most importantly participation by local people, in making a real and substantive contribution to the improvement of their environment and lifestyle. The project also seeks to deliver significant benefits for tourism, recreation opportunities and local employment.
The three SFA partner organisations also commit substantial resources. They put forward suitable pieces of land for appraisal by the SFA Steering Group. If a piece of land is approved to become an SFA site, and receives the necessary funding to regenerate it as native woodland, that organisation commits resource to manage that land to an agreed set of conditions for a 200 year period (the time period deemed necessary to fully establish a native woodland and its associated biodiversity).
BP encourages their employees to actively participate in their community investment programmes and the Scottish Forest Alliance offers numerous volunteer openings for all types of BP employees from scientists to engineers to office workers to technicians.
