Green Paper on emissions trading fails to recognise green carbon in native forests

The Wilderness Society Inc
Media Release
16 July 2008

The significant role that Australia’s native forests could play in helping to fight climate change was ignored by the Federal Government’s green paper on emissions trading today, The Wilderness Society said.

Undisturbed native forests store much more carbon than plantations but instead of seizing on the benefit they can provide, the Federal Government has hidden behind the Kyoto Protocol which fails to distinguish between the two forest types, Wilderness Society spokesperson Virginia Young said.

“The Federal Government has taken a puzzling approach to forestry so far. It makes little sense that wood products would be included in a trading scheme but not the emissions generated through logging to create those products.

“Australia's public native forests store large amounts of carbon, which is released to the atmosphere when logged, so it would make sense to protect and restore native forest carbon stocks.

“Why Australia's public native forests are not seen as having a major role to play in helping to solve the climate problem is puzzling, especially when private forest growers would be able to opt in to any emissions trading scheme.”

Emissions from forestry activities in native forests can be as high as 3,670 tonnes of CO2 per hectare.

Ms Young said the green paper had outlined a welcome approach to forest restoration.
“It is good to see the Federal Government recognising the value of long term restoration over trees planted for wood production.”

“Australia’s current approach to accounting for forest carbon is inadequate. We are yet to properly account for the huge CO2 emissions each year from logging native forests and instead we hide these emissions behind an ever expanding plantation estate.

“There are huge carbon stocks in our native forests that must be properly valued and protected. They must not be forgotten as an essential tool to enable Australia to deliver the substantial cuts needed to help solve climate change.

“Reducing logging and increasing protection of native forests in Australia offers an immediate reduction in emissions and longer term secure carbon sequestration and storage.”