Help stop the rich countries' logging loophole

Just when you thought Australia couldn’t make any more mistakes on climate change, our team at the latest round of international climate negotiations tell us that the Australian government is supporting a move to allow increased levels of logging without counting the associated increased level of greenhouse gas emissions in new accounting rules which would only apply to developed countries.

Natural forests, wherever they occur, can store very large amounts of carbon. That carbon is released to the atmosphere when they are disturbed whether by logging or clearing. It makes no difference whether they are in Indonesia or Australia.

The Australian government urgently needs to get the message that encouraging loopholes in climate negotiations to benefit the ailing Australian native forest logging industry is just not good enough. Why should we ask Indonesia and PNG to protect their forests in the name of fighting climate change when we refuse to do the same thing at home?

Copy the text below and send an email or a letter now!

Email senator.wong@aph.gov.au

or mail a letter to:

Senator the Hon Penny Wong
Minister for Climate Change and Water
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600

Dear Minister,

URGENT: Take up Forest Protection for a Climate Solution in Bonn

I am writing to express grave concern that the current direction of negotiations on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) continues to pose a serious threat to effective climate change mitigation and the integrity of the UN climate negotiations. 

I had heard that Australia is encouraging developing countries like PNG and Indonesia to protect their forests as a climate solution. I would like to urge you to take the same approach at home.

I am surprised and dismayed to hear that Australia is among those countries proposing a loophole for developed countries that has the effect of allowing developed countries to increase emissions without having to account for them, a proposal that has no place in a climate treaty. Indeed continuing in this direction would worsen climate change and would set a disastrous example for the broader climate talks. 

I am concerned that there may be an effort to finalize this proposal at the current UN Climate Talks in Bonn.

Surely Australia should help close this proposed loophole by showing leadership, and encouraging all developed countries to agree to two new guiding principles: that implementation of LULUCF results in an absolute reduction in net emissions; and that it result in the protection of carbon reservoirs in natural ecosystems.

There is an historic opportunity to protect and restore Australia’s carbon rich native forests, particularly in the light of the shelving of the CPRS, the collapse of Tasmanian woodchip markets based on native forest, due to market pressure for forest protection and increased competitive pressure on the native forest sector as a whole from increased plantation wood supply.

I urge you to ensure that Australia abandons support for the proposed logging loophole and commits to making Australia’s forests part of the climate change solution. 

Sincerely,
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