The state’s forest management company aims to create 100,000 hectares of new forests by 2050 - the equivalent of county Longford.
Coillte has released a new Strategic Vision for the future of Ireland’s woodlands and hopes to create new forests, new jobs, increase the number of timber frame homes we’re building and build more wind farms for renewable energy.
For context, the 28 million tonnes of C02 figure is about half of Ireland’s emissions from 2020.
Coillte CEO Imelda Hurley says these plans, should they come to pass, will mean a recruitment drive:
"1,200 new jobs and they will be across a series of areas and skills. There will be the need for skills to create these new forests, and manage those forests going forward."
The company aims to finance its ambitions with private investment and state support along with using its own funds.
Managing Director of Forestry Mark Carlin expects the company will be able to power 500,000 extra homes with wind energy too:
"It's critical that we reduce our need for fossil fuels and we're going to have to increase the use of renewable energy, and wind is a great resource here in Ireland."
Coillte is opening a public consultation on these plans in mid-May.
