Scottish Environment Minister responds to skills position paper
We are pleased to have received another response to our position paper, Can’t See the Skills for the Trees, this time from Scotland’s Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, Màiri McAllan. The Insitute’s Executive Director, Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor, and Senior Policy Manager, Jemima Cooper, had a collaborative meeting with Ms McAllan on 16 […]
New Environment Act passed into law
According to Defra, the UK’s new environmental legislation leads the way on a global level, aiming to improve air and water quality, tackle waste, increase recycling, halt the decline of species, and improve our natural environment. Specifically, the Environment Act will deliver: Long-term targets to improve air quality, biodiversity, water, and waste reduction and resource […]
Secretary of State for Skills responds to Institute position paper
Our position paper on the serious skills shortage in our sector has received another response from the UK Government. Alex Burghart MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Skills, from the Department for Education has replied in writing to the Institute’s Executive Director, Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor, detailing the department’s ongoing efforts and investment in […]
Forestry Minister responds to Institute’s skills position paper
In early October, we sent this position paper to Ministers across the UK detailing our serious concerns about the skills shortage in our sector, which we believe puts climate targets at risk. The paper cited projected workforce shortages, a crisis in further and higher education, lack of awareness of careers with trees – essentially, a […]
Executive Director meets natural and built environment CEOs
After a pledge for more collaboration between professional institute’s at the Trees, People and the Built Environment 4 conference at the start of the year, our Executive Director, Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor, has attended a six monthly meeting with CEOs from the natural and built environment sectors. Shireen was joined by Sue Morgan from the […]
Policy Roundup – October 2021
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute News Our Position Paper on the Forestry Skills Shortage In early October we published a position paper on the skills crisis in forestry which needs urgent action. We sent it to ministers across […]
Consultation opens on UKWAS 5 Second Revision Draft
Stakeholders are now being invited to comment on the Second Revision Draft of UKWAS 5. The consultation draft has been prepared by a chamber-balanced working group reflecting economic, environmental and social interests taking full account of stakeholder input. Chair of the working group and Institute Fellow, Peter Wilson FICFor, said: “We had fantastic feedback from […]
Forestry skills crisis puts climate targets at risk
On Thursday 7 October we sent a position paper to Ministers across the UK detailing our serious concerns about the skills shortage in our sector, which we believe puts climate targets at risk. Read the executive summary below or download the full document. We have asked governments to commit to action and offered solutions; we […]
Forest Research publish 2021 statistics on the sector
According to Forest Research’s Forestry Facts & Figures 2021 report, the total woodland area in the UK has increased by 23,000 hectares since 2020. The publication includes UK statistics on woodland cover, timber and wood products, imports and exports, economics, employment, woodland visits, international comparisons and the environment. Woodland area in the UK is […]
New Institute representative for tree health appointed
We were delighted to appoint Tom Jenkins FICFor as the ICF representative on the Defra Tree Health Policy Group (THPG) last month. Tom is Head of Forest Research in Wales. Historically there has been little formal communication but the group is engaging more widely and openly and through this we are communicating more with members, […]