The Forestry Market - Forestry investment UK regional markets Carbon offsetting Woodland creation - Savills

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The Forestry Market - Forestry investment UK regional markets Carbon offsetting Woodland creation - Savills
UK Rural - April 2021

S P OT L I G H T
                          The Forestry
Savills Research
                            Market

Forestry investment   UK regional markets      Carbon offsetting   Woodland creation
The Forestry Market - Forestry investment UK regional markets Carbon offsetting Woodland creation - Savills
Forestry investment

50%
rise in hectares traded
                                  £205.5m 20,372
                                  UK forestry investment in the                                                        Gross area of hectares traded
in the 2020 forest year           2020 forest year                                                                     in the 2020 forest year

Breaking convention
Forestry now sits at the apex of both climate and land
use policy and continues to attract new interest
This Spotlight on Forestry tracks UK forest                                                    not uncommon for forests to sell in excess of             existing forests, these sites have few of the
investments during the 2020 forest year                                                        30-70% over the asking price, which ultimately            constraints levied on new planting sites, and
(1 October 2019 – 30 September 2020)                                                           represents the scarcity value of tradeable                therefore offer good opportunities to investors
and shows that interest in the UK forestry                                                     forest assets. Asset supply constraints are               willing to improve assets over a longer
investment market continues to follow its                                                      being matched with an aggressive appetite for             timeframe. This is demonstrated by increasing
long-term upward movement. Last year’s                                                         managed carbon and timber resources, with                 prices for secondary or even tertiary forest
Spotlight reported evidence of new buyers                                                      owners wanting to report on sustainability                property, with the expectation that through
entering the UK forestry market and this                                                       metrics of forestry performance in climate                focusing on the better soils within a property,
trend has intensified as climate concerns                                                      and biodiversity regulation, especially when              drainage, species change and improved growth
continue to dominate investment landscapes.                                                    considering afforestation projects. The one               performance the second rotation over a
The traditional market drivers of capital asset                                                note of warning is that competition is driving            potentially smaller net area is likely to
appreciation and rising timber prices have                                                     demand in excess of market realities.                     significantly outperform the first rotation.
not changed, but evolving policy and action                                                       The trend towards off-market sales seen                   For years forest management was about
around the sustainability agenda has shone                                                     during the 2020 forest year suggests that the             restricting expenditure in a no income
a light on forestry as not only a financial                                                    privacy of buyers and sellers and managing                environment, but management is now rewarded
investment, but also an environmental one.                                                     speculative interest remain concerns.                     by strong timber prices and capital values, so
This has diversified the investment pool, but                                                                                                            additional money spent on scrub clearance,
also focused demand for lesser quality assets for                                              ACTIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT                                   respacing, infill planting, enhanced drainage, etc
re-purposing, and in the more remote areas.                                                    As a result of the increasing competition for             is not wasted. Improvements in management
   During the 2020 forest year the value of the                                                property, there is clear interest in properties           don’t just benefit future timber revenues
UK forestry investment market hit a record                                                     that were traditionally less popular mainly due           though. Microsoft, for example, in its recent
of over £205 million. The main difficulty                                                      to location and the expectation of poorer                 carbon markets report included carbon storage
is predicting where true forestry values lie                                                   commercial returns. While never destined to               from enhanced forest management projects as
against the market’s return aspirations. It is                                                 produce the same output as prime property, as             part of its ambitious net positive strategy.

FORESTRY                                                                                                                                                                                                        forest hectares sold, however,
                                                                                         Total market area and total market value                                                                               during 2020, 20,732 hectares
INVESTMENT                                                                                                                                                                                                      were transacted, representing a
ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                        rise of 50% compared to the 2019
                                                                                         250                                                                             25                                     (figure 1). Although the number of
The total value of the UK forestry                                                                      Market value
                                                                                                                                                                                                                hectares sold increased during
                                             Value of market transactions (£ millions)

investment market increased from                                                                        Market area                                                                                             2020, the demand for forestry still
                                                                                                                                                                              Market gross area (thousand ha)

                                                                                         200                                                                             20
£119 million in 2019, to just over                                                                                                                                                                              considerably exceeds supply.
£205.5 million. During 2020,
20,372 hectares were transacted                                                                                                                                                                                 AVERAGE FOREST VALUES
                                                                                         150                                                                             15
representing a 73% increase in                                                                                                                                                                                  Analysis of our 2020 database
the value of forestry sold and,                                                                                                                                                                                 shows the average gross forest
according to our research, exceeds                                                       100                                                                             10                                     value increased by 17% to just over
the record in 2015 by just short of                                                                                                                                                                             £11,600 per hectare. All forests
£60 million, when forest sales were                                                                                                                                                                             have unproductive areas such as
bolstered by a large portfolio sale                                                       50                                                                             5                                      tracks, rivers, lochs, etc, so it is
(figure 1).                                                                                                                                                                                                     important to consider the value of
   This report focuses on data                                                                                                                                                                                  the productive area. The average
from all mainstream forestry                                                              0                                                                              0                                      price per net productive hectare
                                                                                                2011   2012   2013    2014   2015   2016   2017   2018     2019   2020
transactions and, where we are                                                                                                                                                                                  rose by 11% to £15,000. This
aware, off-market or private                                                                                                                                                                                    reflects all sales over 20 hectares
                                           figure 1                                                                                                  Source Savills Research
transactions. While we make every                                                                                                                                                                               and covers a wide variation in the
effort to record all forest sales,                                                                                                                                                                              type, location and size of forest
through our market knowledge               have become more widespread                                                              suggests the value of sales may be                                          sold. However, closer analysis of of
and networks, it is becoming               with our analysis showing private                                                        as high as £225 million for 2020.                                           the larger commercial forest sales
increasingly clear that the market         sales represented 32% of all sales                                                       The remarkable increase in the                                              (>150ha) highlights the strength of
is becoming harder to determine            during 2020, compared to 11% in                                                          overall value of sales can be partly                                        the upper end of the investment
as some sales are not easily               2019 and 7% in 2017. As a result,                                                        attributed to a rise in the total area                                      market, with average gross values
identified or verified through             although our database reports                                                            of forestry transacted across the                                           at £13,100 per hectare and the
available records.                         total sales of just over £205.5                                                          UK. In recent years, our analysis                                           average net productive hectare
   In recent years, off-market sales       million, anecdotal evidence                                                              found a relatively even number of                                           rising to £18,250.

savills.com/research                                                                                                            2
The Forestry Market - Forestry investment UK regional markets Carbon offsetting Woodland creation - Savills
Regional market

          Although the number of hectares sold increased
          during the 2020 forest year, the demand for
          forestry still considerably exceeds supply

                                                                                                           Higher average yields from younger trees

                                                                                                           40%

                                                                                                            35%

                                                                              Percentage of spruce trees
                                                                                                           30%

                                                                                                            25%

                                                                                                           20%

                                                                                                            15%

                                                                                                            10%

                                                                                                            5%

                                                                                                            0%
                                                                                                                       Low yield          Medium yield       High yield       Very high yield
                                                                                                                         class               class             class              class
                                                                                                                    Tree age 0-19 years             Tree age 20+ years
                                                                                                                    (second rotation)               (first rotation)

                                                                             figure 2                                                                                     Source Savills Research

          Regional performance
          Higher demand for forestry is driving interest in previously unconsidered locations
          Average forest values are diverse and factors    closely to asset value. Analysis of a forestry                                    benefit from better growing conditions
          such as location, accessibility, tree species,   portfolio comprising first and second rotation                                    and access to timber markets. However,
          average age and timber volume continue to        spruce crops indicated that younger timber,                                       during the 2020 harvest year, North
          influence the price. However, as demand for      less than 20 years old and therefore nearly all                                   Scotland achieved a price of over £16,500
          forestry intensifies we are seeing growing       early second rotation, recorded a higher average                                  per net productive hectare, which is a
          interest in areas that were considered less      yield class of 17, compared to a medium yield                                     regional high. North Scotland also reported
          attractive in the past, resulting in average     class of 13 for timber over 20 years old, which                                   the second largest market share across
          forest value growth being strongest across       was nearly all first rotation. Furthermore, our                                   Scotland, England and Wales at 28% with
          North and Central Scotland.                      research indicated that 53% of the younger                                        5,678 hectares transacted.
             The growing interest in previously less       timber was rated high to very high yield class,
          attractive forest properties is also driven by   compared to 22% of timber over 20 years                                           CENTRAL SCOTLAND
          a realisation that through improvements in       (figure 2). This is in part why we are seeing                                     The area enjoyed a significant 24% rise
          management techniques, tree stocks, genetics,    very strong values paid for younger age profile                                   in the average net productive value to
          and precision breeding, the performance of       woodlands, with valuations capturing this                                         £16,555 per hectare. Average prices here
          forests can be boosted. Improved techniques      heightened performance as well as other                                           have been gradually rising and for a second
          for tree establishment provide the basis for     benefits, such as the smoothed income profile                                     consecutive year recorded the highest number
          better performing and faster growing forests.    associated with multi-age forests.                                                of forest hectares sold across Scotland,
          Foresters are also witnessing longer growing                                                                                       England and Wales.
          seasons due to milder UK autumns.                NORTH SCOTLAND
             Monitoring yield helps forest managers        In North Scotland the average price of                                            SOUTH SCOTLAND
          understand performance patterns in terms of      £8,513 per net productive hectare continues                                       During the 2020 forest year, the average value
          growth and productivity, which should link       to be lower than more southerly regions that                                      of net productive forest rose by 3% to £15,100
                                                                                                                                             per hectare. This follows a 33% rise in the 2019
                                                                                                                                             forest year and the 2020 data reflects the range
Regional market share and values                                                                                                             of prices and properties sold across the region.
                                                                                                                                             The number of hectares transacted reduced
                                                                                                                                             by almost 500 hectares when compared to the
                               Region                      Average £ per                                   Number of          Market         2019 forest year.
                              			                           productive                                      hectares          share
                              			                             hectare                                         sold              %
                                                                                                                                             ENGLAND AND WALES
                                 ● North Scotland              £8,513                                        5678                  28%       England and Wales continue to benefit
                                                                                                                                             from the highest prices paid per hectare of
                                 ● Central Scotland           £16,555                                        7210                  35%       net productive forest. This year’s analysis
                                                                                                                                             shows a 4% rise in the average value to
                                 ● South Scotland             £15,100                                        4000              20%
                                                                                                                                             £17,131. The number of hectares sold in
                                 ● England & Wales             £17,131                                       3484                  17%       England and Wales increased by over 2,000
                                                                                                                                             hectares during the 2020 forest year compared
                              figure 3                                                                            Source Savills Research    to the 2019 year.

                                                                         3
The Forestry Market - Forestry investment UK regional markets Carbon offsetting Woodland creation - Savills
Carbon offsetting

    Interest in the UK woodland carbon market has grown
    rapidly over recent years, presenting a new potential
    income stream for landowners

                                                                                                      IMPACT OF CARBON INCOME ON
                                                                                                      WOODLAND CREATION MODELS

                                                                                                         Model assumptions = 50ha over 80 years

                                                                                                         Amenity: England broadleaf
                                                                                                         n 100% mixed broadleaf
                                                                                                         n Woodland creation and maintenance
                                                                                                         grant income
                                                                                                         n Carbon price = £25/tonne
                                                                                                         n Timber income from selling firewood
                                                                                                         = £2,000/year for 40 years

                                                                                                         Scotland: mixed
                                                                                                         n 50% broadleaf, 50% conifer
                                                                                                         n 2 x conifer rotations
                                                                                                         n Woodland creation and maintenance
                                                                                                         grant income
                                                                                                         n Carbon price (from the broadleaf)
                                                                                                         = £25/tonne
                                                                                                         n Timber yield (from conifer) = £500 tonne/
                                                                                                         ha for fell, 40 tonne/ha for thin
                                                                                                         n Timber price (from conifer) = £80/tonne

Carbon as a disruptor
                                                                                                         for fell, £30/tonne for thin
                                                                                                         n Timber income from selling firewood
                                                                                                         = £1,000/year for 40 years

Companies concerned about their climate impact are                                                       Commercial: Scotland conifer
increasingly looking at woodland carbon offsetting                                                       n 100% conifer
The reality of the climate crisis has sparked a   risk. The growing demand for accountability,           n 2 x conifer rotations
race to net zero emissions across all sectors     combined with increasing regulatory baselines          n Woodland creation and maintenance
                                                                                                         grant income
within the UK. Companies and organisations        and the threat of carbon taxes, means that
                                                                                                         n No carbon income
seeking to reach zero carbon impact start by      companies are starting to address their carbon         n Timber yield (from conifer) = £500 tonne/
reducing their procedural emissions and then      emissions. This has resulted in a surge of             ha for fell, 40 tonne/ha for thin
look to offsetting for any residual emissions.    interest in woodland carbon offsetting.                n Timber price (from conifer) = £80/tonne
Tree planting offers a nature-based solution                                                             for fell, £30/tonne for thin
to carbon offsetting. As trees grow, they         CREATING A CARBON OFFSET
sequester carbon through photosynthesis.          In order to sell woodland carbon offsets,
This sequestration can be quantified and          there are a number of key criteria that             Estimated income breakdown over 80 years:
reported as an internal offset or “inset” for     need to be satisfied. Firstly, the woodland
land managers, or it can be externally verified   creation needs to be verified as a legitimate
and sold to the voluntary carbon market as        carbon sequestering project. Within the
an offset.                                        UK, the Woodland Carbon Code is the most
   Interest in the UK woodland carbon             commonly used scheme to do this. Secondly,
market has grown rapidly over recent years,       it is essential that the woodland can prove
presenting a new potential income stream for      additionality. This means that the carbon
landowners and generating demand for bare         would not have been sequestered in the                  Amenity:             Mixed: conifer           Commercial:
                                                                                                          broadleaf            and broadleaf              conifer
planting land.                                    absence of a market for offset credits.
                                                      In other words, carbon income needs to be              ● Woodland grants ● Woodland carbon sales
DEMAND FOR WOODLAND CARBON                        a key driver for planting the trees – the project                  ● Woodland timber sales
There are a number of factors behind the          cannot be financially viable without carbon
increasing demand for woodland carbon             income. This means deriving carbon income              £               Conifer           Mixed          Broadleaf
offsets. The legally binding net zero emissions   from commercial forestry can be difficult
                                                                                                         Total
target of 2050 for England and 2045 for           to justify. The trees have to be planted on                          £3,882,210       £2,328,560         £673,535
                                                                                                         income
Scotland has put pressure on policymakers         new land, and the land manager cannot be
and business to take their carbon impact          under an obligation to plant – meaning land            Total
                                                                                                                        £375,100         £457,912         £493,802
impact seriously. This ambition is brought        managers cannot sell the carbon from trees             costs
to reality through Climate Related Financial      grown through restocking (for example, under           Net
Disclosure, which is increasingly becoming        the conditions of a felling licence). Trees                          £3,507,110       £1,870,648         £179,733
                                                                                                         income
mandatory for all large companies and             sequester carbon at different rates depending
financial institutions in the UK, requiring       on age and species, therefore woodland carbon       (all numbers are based upon theoretical models and assumptions)

them to be transparent about their climate        credits can take time to generate.                  figure 4                                Source Savills Research

savills.com/research                                                              4
The Forestry Market - Forestry investment UK regional markets Carbon offsetting Woodland creation - Savills
Woodland carbon

£20.37/t
The average price of carbon from three rounds of England’s
                                                                     15x
                                                                     The amount of times the voluntary carbon market needs
Woodland Carbon Guarantee over 2020-21 is £20.37/tonne               to scale by 2030 in order to reach net zero in time

Investment potentials                                                                                       Comparative income streams over time
We look at carbon sequestration versus                                                                      (illustrative – not to scale)

returns from commercially driven forestry
                                                                                                                     Woodland creation and maintenance grant income
The growing interest in woodland          timber remain far more substantial.
                                                                                                                     Carbon offsetting income
carbon for offsetting and ESG             High timber prices and high yields
                                                                                                                     Timber income
objectives makes forestry an              have resulted in exponential value
increasingly attractive investment.       growth for commercially driven

                                                                                        Income (£)
Savills Rural Research modelled           forestry. It is important to assess
the impact of carbon income on a          the relative price of the assets at
variety of woodland creation models       maturity, rather than focusing solely
to understand the extent to which         on chasing the earlier income streams
carbon is changing forestry market        from carbon, which may lead to
dynamics. Our models (figure 4)           investment in a lower yielding model.
demonstrate that growing trees for        While forestry is not solely about                                                                     Time
commercial carbon (offsetting) and        carbon, the emergence of carbon
growing trees for commercial timber       sequestration as a key incentive for         figure 5                                                                             Source Savills Research
are very different projects in terms of   planting is undeniable. As a disruptor
income potential, timescales around       carbon boosts a strengthening
return on investment and scheme           forestry market, increasing demand                                Illustrative capital appreciation of each model
design. The need to prove additionality   for bare land with planting potential,
means that commercial carbon and          and making forestry an attractive                                          Conifer                                               £25000/ha
commercial forestry schemes are           asset for its “soft” insetting power.                                      Mixed
increasingly incompatible, as deriving    For certain planting schemes such                                          Broadleaf
carbon income from financially viable     as lower yielding broadleaf amenity                                                                                               £12000/ha
                                                                                        Capital value (£)

timber production makes additionality     woodland, carbon income is becoming                                      £8000/ha
hard to justify. All growing trees        a key driver. However, history
sequester carbon, however not all         reminds us that focusing on single
                                                                                                                   £5000/ha                                                 £5000/ha
woodland creation models can sell         issue drivers has led to regrettable
carbon offsets. Carbon sequestered        mistakes in woodland design, such as
can be used as an internal “inset” on     monoculture plantations when the
a carbon balance sheet. Figures 5 and     sole aim was mitigating income tax.                                      £4000/ha             Dip in value is because the impact of traded carbon units on
6 show that although carbon income        It is crucial that investors and land                                                         the capital valuation of a woodland asset remains uncertain

is an incentive to planting and will      managers understand all their drivers                                                             Time (80 years)
ease cash flow for certain schemes, at    for planting and adopt a long-term,
current carbon prices, returns from       balanced approach.                           figure 6                                                                             Source Savills Research

                                                                 CARBON VALUES
                                                                                                                                                                                           £160
                                                                 Income from carbon offsets is not linear, as sequestration                                                                 tCO2e
                                                                 rates vary depending on age and species of the tree.
                                                                 Carbon prices within the voluntary offsetting market vary
                                                                                                                                                                              £75
                                                                 greatly, from £3/tCO2e to £30/tCO2e. The average price                                                       tCO2e
                                                                 of the mandatory EU Emissions Trading Scheme for April
                                                                 2020–2021 was £24.41/tCO2e. Research has suggested                                                   £50
                                                                                                                                                                     tCO2e
                                                                 that carbon should be priced between £40-£100/tCO2e in
                                                                 order to accurately represent the cost of reaching net zero
                                                                 by 2050 (2045 for Scotland). For many companies looking                                             2020      2030         2050
                                                                 to purchase offsets, the UK provides high quality, verifiable
                                                                 “charismatic carbon”. Companies value the additional                                             Source LSE, Grantham Institute
                                                                 benefits UK tree planting can provide such as public
                                                                 access, biodiversity uplift and species protection. If carbon                                  A report from LSE and
                                                                 prices rise in line with research predictions, and regulatory                                  Grantham Institute
                                                                 baselines continue to increase, carbon will endure and grow                                    suggested that shadow
                                                                 as a dominant force for change within the forestry market,                                     carbon prices consistent
                                                                 blurring the lines between land use change and viable                                          with net zero would start
                                                                 investment. However, even with rapid carbon price growth,                                      at £50/tCO2e in 2020,
                                                                 the high returns from timber are likely to remain the most                                     reaching £75/tCO2e in 2030
                                                                 substantial income driver for forestry investment.                                             and £160/tCO2e in 2050.

                                                                                   5
Woodland creation

                                              100
                                              students graduate from higher
                                                                                                900k ha
                                                                                                of woodland to be created by 2050
                                              education forestry courses each year              to meet UK net zero recommendations

                                              Future of forestry
                                              With policy drivers and private market demand promoting woodland creation,
                                              we discuss what it will take to significantly increase the nation’s tree planting
                                              The UK government has committed to                    use (normally farmland) is the core challenge.      before ambitious tree planting targets are
                                              ambitious tree planting, promising to reach           Land managers need to be committed to long-         taken into account. The Institute explained
                                              an annual target of 30,000 hectares of new            term change, which means that most tenanted         that “the necessary scale of change must be
                                              woodland creation by the end of its term,             land is likely to be excluded. A number of          reflected in professional delivery capacity
                                              bringing goals in line with the Committee             grant schemes exist to incentivise woodland         at all levels and in all settings. It will also be
                                              on Climate Change (CCC) net zero                      creation, and the rising value of forestry          crucial to maintain standards to avoid damage
                                              recommendations. The most recent ratified             should be a motivator in its own right.             to the environment and reputational risk to
                                              UK figures suggest 13,500 hectares were                  Land use change to forestry is a complex         the sector.”
                                              planted in the 12 months to March 2020, with          process and can require environmental                  There are calls to make forestry and
                                              an estimated similar, albeit slightly higher          impact assessments in extreme cases. The            environmental studies more mainstream
                                              figure to March 2021. This puts current               process is also time-consuming and this has         at school level, and build on degree
                                              planting rates at 45% of what is required. But,       to be factored into appraisals. As a result, the    apprenticeships as an opportunity to increase
                                              exactly what is needed if we are to have any          process of developing a scheme can take six         capacity in the sector and promote diversity
                                              hope of achieving these goals?                        months to two years depending on scale, and         in the workforce. The need for upscaling and
                                                                                                    often the net plantable area is only 40% to         upskilling is also a great opportunity to forge
                                              LAND AVAILABILITY                                     60% of the overall area after deductions for        links with the wider land use community and
                                              At the highest level, land availability is the        safeguarding.                                       draw in career changers from other sectors,
                                              most significant factor for new woodland                                                                  especially post-Covid-19.
                                              creation. Not only does land need to be               LABOUR/SKILLS REQUIREMENTS                             Approximately 100 students graduate
                                              available, but it also needs to be suitable for       Rapid upscaling is needed if the UK is to meet      from higher education forestry courses each
                                              woodland development.                                 its tree planting targets. A crucial part of that   year across the UK. Work is being done by
                                                 Excluding valuable agricultural land               upscaling revolves around the labour and            devolved governments to develop plans to
                                              and land under protected designations,                skills needed to advise, plant and manage new       attract talent to the sector, improve skills
                                              the Forestry Commission has identified                woodland creation. A Scottish study (2019)          and technical knowledge, support education
                                              approximately 3.2 million hectares in England         suggested that in order to meet Scotland’s          providers and employers.
                                              as favourable for tree planting. A similar            share of the 30,000 hectare commitment,                Funding from schemes such as the Green
                                              project commissioned by the Scottish                  it needed an uplift of 29% of the workforce         Recovery Challenge Fund and Scotland’s
                                              government estimated there were 2.7 million           over 10 years. Estimates based on the Scottish      Kickstart programme may help enable
                                              hectares of land with the “most likely potential      research and the planting targets indicate the      increased employment in the sector. However,
                                              for woodland expansion” across Scotland.              shortfall could be as many as 12,500 people in      there are no guarantees. Sustained political
                                              Together this represents an extra 24% of              England and Wales.                                  will and government commitments will be
                                              the total land mass in Scotland and England              The Institute of Chartered Foresters             essential in delivering scale, if the UK is
                                              that is suitable for expanding woodlands.             believes there is an urgent need for more           realistically going to achieve its net zero,
                                              Converting this land from it’s current primary        skilled staff in the forestry workforce even        biodiversity and planting targets.

                                   Planting progress across UK                                      24%                                                     Current annual planting
                                                                                                    Excluding valuable                                      targets
                                   12
                                                                                                    agricultural land and
                                                                               2019-2020
                                                                                                    land under protected                                                                  Scotland
 Number of trees planted (000Ha)

                                                                                                                                                                                          12,000ha
                                                                                                    designations, the Forestry
                                                                               Target in 2020
                                   9
                                                                                                                                                            N Ireland
                                                                                                    Commission has identified                               900ha
                                                                                                    an extra 24% of the total                                                             England
                                   6
                                                                                                    land mass in Scotland                                                                 5,000ha
                                                                                                    and England suitable for
                                    3                                                               expanding woodlands
                                                                                                                                                            Wales
                                                                                                                                                            2,000ha
                                   0
                                        England      Scotland      N Ireland          Wales

figure 7                                                           Source Forestry Commission                                                           figure 8                   Source Savills Research

savills.com/research                                                                                               6
Woodland expansion

                                   The industry requires substantial investment if tree
                                   planting is to be delivered rapidly and at significant
                                   scale – trees don’t grow overnight

                                   NURSERY CAPACITY                                              years are good mast (seed production) years.       TIMBER
                                   With increasing planting and re-stocking                         The Forestry Commission recently
                                                                                                                                                    MARKET
                                   demand comes even greater demand for                          announced a potential Nursery Notification
                                   tree seedlings. Tree nurseries have endured                   Scheme, intended to inform UK seed suppliers       A year on from the start
                                   sustained demand increases over the last                      and tree growers of forthcoming woodland           of the Covid-19 pandemic
                                   few years. The nursery sector has struggled                   creation and restocking projects, in the           and we can start to
                                   to anticipate demand for seedlings in what is                 hope that it will enable them to prepare tree      uncover the ways in which
                                   essentially a time-critical operation. Scaling                stock accordingly and ensure supply across         the virus has had an
                                   up planting stock needs careful planning given                the sector.                                        impact on the end users of
                                   the long term nature of these ventures to avoid                  The forestry sector has not seen such a         the timber market. During
                                   under or over supply.                                         rapid demand for upscaling for many years,         the pandemic, many home
                                      Nurseries also need to be ready to adapt to                possibly ever. The turn around needed to           owners, bored of staring
                                   the impact of a changing climate on seedling                  reach net zero emissions by 2050 is at odds        at the same four walls and
                                   requirements, as there is likely to be a rising               with a sector that has always worked on long       with time on their hands,
                                   demand for seeds able to withstand increasing                 timescales. The industry requires substantial      have taken to renovating,
                                   disease and climatic pressure and achieve                     investment if tree planting is to be delivered     with sales of home
                                   desired productivity. Even the collection of                  rapidly and at significant scale – trees don’t     improvement and
                                                                                                                                                    gardening products
                                   seed for nursery stock is challenging, as not all             grow overnight.
                                                                                                                                                    growing by almost 50%
                                                                                                                                                    compared to the previous
                                                                                                                                                    year (Statista 2020). Much
                                                                                                                                                    of these purchases will be
                     Historical woodland creation across the UK
                                                                                                                                                    timber-based building
                                                                                                                                                    materials. However,
                     50                                                                                                                             despite the increase in
                                        England              Wales           Scotland                                                               DIY, housebuilding was
                                        UK (minimum) target
                                                                                                                                                    halted for the first
                                                                             UK (upper) target
                     38                                                                                                                             lockdown of 2020,
                                                                                                                                                    disrupting demand for
 Thousand hectares

                                                                                                                                                    timber materials on a
                                                                                                                                                    larger scale.
                     25
                                                                                                                                                       Finally, Covid-19 has
                                                                                                                                                    resulted in a rapid
                                                                                                                                                    increase in online retail –
                     13                                                                                                                             in June 2020 online retail
                                                                                                                                                    accounted for a record
                                                                                                                                                    33% of all retail sales and
                                                                                                                                                    91 local authorities have
                     0
                                                                                                                                                    seen parcel deliveries rise
                          1990

                                 1995

                                             2000

                                                      2005

                                                                     2010

                                                                            2015

                                                                                        2020

                                                                                                 2025

                                                                                                        2030

                                                                                                                   2035

                                                                                                                          2040

                                                                                                                                   2045

                                                                                                                                            2050

                                                                                                                                                    by more than 100% over
                                                                                                                                                    the past year (Savills
                                                                                                                                                    Research). This is likely to
figure 9                                                                                                 Source Forestry Commission, Carbon brief
                                                                                                                                                    have resulted in an
                                                                                                                                                    increased demand for
                                                                                                                                                    both cardboard and
THE SOCIAL POWER OF FORESTRY                                                                                                                        timber pallets, critical
                                                                                                                                                    to a booming delivery
Forestry is a multi-functional asset, with multiple
                                                                                                                                                    logistics sector.
ecosystem services flowing from it, whether it be timber,
                                                                                                                                                       Ultimately, promoting a
carbon, flood prevention or public access. Woodlands are
                                                                                                                                                    high quality, high demand
increasingly being understood and utilised for their
                                                                                                                                                    timber market is a key
holistic value. Forest bathing is a practice garnering
                                                                                                                                                    part of the solution to
interest. It originates from Japan and focuses on
                                                                                                                                                    increasing tree planting
immersing oneself in woodland as a way to relax, cure
                                                                                                                                                    across the UK and in doing
anxiety and improve mental health.
                                                                                                                                                    so thereby sequestering
   There is more and more science emerging into the
                                                                                                                                                    more carbon.
effects of leaf shape, the colour green and the sounds and
smells of a forest and the positive impact that this has on
mental and physical health. Some land managers are
leasing spaces within their woodland for forest bathing
courses to take place, or reaping additional value by
creating commercial forest therapy enterprises. As
society increasingly demands the multiple benefits that
flow from forestry, land managers have the chance to
innovate with service lines and opportunities.

                                                                                                               7
UK Rural - January 2020                                                                                                        UK Rural - February 2021

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Regenerative
                                                     S P OT L I G H T
                                                       Savills Research
                                                                                           Natural Capital                                                                               S P OT L I G H T
                                                                                                                                                                                          Savills Research
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Agriculture

                                                             Carbon Offset Market             Biodiversity Net Gain         Nitrate Neutrality   Rewilding                                                   Building resilience   Core principles       Increasing profitability

                                          1_Savills_Spotlight_NatCapital_10.indd 2                                                                           15/01/2020 14:56

                                                                                                  UK Cross Sector – April 2021                                                                                                        November 2020

                                                                                                Property
                                                     S P OT L I G H T
                                                      Savills Research
                                                                                               and Carbon
                                                                                                                                                                                         S P OT L I G H T
                                                                                                                                                                                         Savills Research
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Rural Logistics

                                                        Measuring risk               Green real estate    Operational challenges        Emissions reduction                                                   Urban migration      Logistics capacity         Rural repurposing

                              Savills Research
                              We’re a dedicated team with an unrivalled reputation for producing well-informed and
                              accurate analysis, research and commentary across all sectors of the UK property market.
                              To view copies of our previous Spotlight publications, go to www.savills.co.uk/insight-and-opinion/
                              Analysis methodology: Our research analyses our transactional database of forest sales. This database collates data from all mainstream forestry transactions over 20 hectares in area, and
                              where we are aware, off-market or private sales. While every effort is taken to ensure all transactions are included within the information presented within this publication, it is very likely that
                              further sales are reported after our publishing. Therefore, this Spotlight on the UK Forestry Market takes into account all new available information.

James Adamson                                                                    Nicola Buckingham                                                                              Molly Biddell
Head of Forestry Investment UK                                                   Rural Research                                                                                 Rural Research
+44 (0) 1738 447 510                                                             +44 (0) 7807 999 011                                                                           +44 (0) 7866 885 240
james.adamson@savills.com                                                        nbuckingham@savills.com                                                                        molly.biddell@savills.com

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