National Association of Forestry Industries REDD Seminar ANU, 18 June 2008 David de Jongh

1. National Association of Forestry Industries REDD SeminarANU, 18 June 2008David de Jongh

2. Presentation Outline • Australia’s system of sustainable forest management • The carbon profile of Australia’s forest industry • Positioning the industry for an ETS • Working with neighbouring countries on SFM and carbon abatement from forestry

3. SFM Framework in Australia • National Forest Policy Statement (1992) • Regional Forest Agreements • Plantations 2020 Vision • State regulations, codes of practice etc • Forest certification

4. Forest Certification in Australia Two forest certification schemes in operation • Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) - 8.67 million ha • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – 533,000ha

5. Forest Certification in Australia Ref (BRS 2008)

6. Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) • AFS is designed to suit Australian conditions and forest management frameworks • AFS based on internationally recognised frameworks – ISO 14000 and Montreal C&I • Developed through 3 year process by government, industry and environmental scientists • Registered Australian Standard • Internationally recognised through PEFC

7. Carbon Profile of Australia’s forests • SFM is critical for maximising carbon abatement from forestry • Australia’s commercial forests are carbon positive providing significant carbon abatement towards national Kyoto targets • Commercial forests (native forests and plantations) provide 44 million tonnes CO2 offsets towards Australia’s carbon accounts each year

8. Carbon Profile of Australia’s forests • Reduced land clearing and new plantations have been the main reason Australia is on track to meet its Kyoto targets • Carbon emissions from land clearing declined from 70 million tonnes in 2002 to 53 million tonnes in 2005 • Land clearing in Australia has occurred mainly for agriculture purposes but also urban development • ‘Kyoto’ Plantations provide 20 million tonnes CO2 offsets each year

9. Commercial Native Forests • Australia’s commercial native forests offset 5.5% of national GHG emissions pa • Commercial native forests provide 23 million tonnes CO2 offsets each year • Wood production occurs within a permanent native forest estate meaning Australia is growing its native forest resources

10. Change in resource base for commercial native forests Ref (BRS 2008)

11. Plantations • Australia is rapidly expanding its plantation estate – currently have 1.82 million ha • Recent investment mostly through the private sector • Currently expanding at around 75,000 hectares per year • Delivering 20 million tonnes CO2 offsets each year • On track to meet the 2020 Vision Target of 3 million hectares of plantations by 2020 – could provide 50 million tonnes CO2 offsets pa by 2020

12. Australia’s plantation expansion Ref (BRS 2008)

13. Carbon benefits of wood products • Carbon storage in wood products accounts for 5 million tonnes of CO2 offsets each year (DCC). Recognition in ETS is priority. • An average Australian home built mostly from wood products saves around 25 tonnes of CO2 in the materials production process (CRC for Greenhouse Accounting) Ref (FWPRDC 2006)

14. Carbon benefits of production forests and carbon storage in wood products Ref (FWPRDC 2006)

15. Wood Waste for Bioenergy • Bioenergy from wood waste reduces CO2 emissions by 95-99% for each MWh of electricity generated when compared to coal-fired electricity • The use of currently available wood waste for bioenergy production in Australia has the potential to: • reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 3 million tonnes of CO2e each year; and • supply renewable electricity to at least 400,000 houses (Ref www.nafi.com.au/bioenergy)

16. Forest industry carbon abatement by 2020

17. Forest Industry carbon abatement by 2020 Ref (NAFI 2008)

18. Australia’s GHG Emissions by Sector (2005) Ref (BRS 2008)

19. National contribution to emissions reductions Ref (NAFI 2008)

20. ETS design and recognition of forestry’s contribution • Recognition of the carbon positive nature of Australia’s forest industry will be critical in an ETS • Encourage greater investment and maintain competitiveness • Need to keep growing forest resources and using climate friendly wood products

21. Inclusion of forestry under an ETS • Comprehensive inclusion is sought by Australia’s forest industry – in line with Government objective of maximal coverage • Not necessarily linked to agriculture – different accounting issues • Critical to facilitate industry’s carbon full abatement potential

22. Inclusion of forestry under an ETS

23. Australia’s National Carbon Accounting System (NCAS) • NCAS tracks carbon emissions and sinks from land based systems (forestry & ag) • Australian Government working with international organisations and overseas governments to implement NCAS • Objective is to allow carbon accounting of forests in these countries and prepare them for possible inclusion in an international ETS • Australian Government has world leading position in relation to carbon accounting for forestry

24. Working with neighbouring countries • SFM is critical – delivers social, economic and environmental outcomes • Forest certification is extremely valuable tool – particularly in developing countries • NCAS important for carbon monitoring and compliance

25. Thank You For more information visit www.nafi.com.au