According to a new CSIRO report, of all of Australia’s nature-based technologies the Forest Plantation and Farm Forestry sector is reported as having the greatest potential to sequester carbon from the environment.
In the report titled, Australia’s Carbon Sequestration Potential, Australia’s national science agency CSIRO has published an assessment of 12 carbon sequestration technologies and the role they could play in helping Australia reach net zero emissions.
“This latest report by CSIRO cements the important role that the forest plantation and farm forestry sector will play in helping Australia achieve net zero emissions through addressing climate change by locking in carbon”, said Nathan Paine, CEO of South Australian Forest Products Association (SAFPA).
“Each and every year, South Australia’s plantation forests store around 4.64 million tonnes of CO2e, and with our ambition to plant more trees we aim to lock in even more carbon as our industry grows. More trees will not only address the global timber and fibre shortages, but our industry will play a significant role in Australia reaching its emission reduction targets by removing significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” continued Mr Paine.
“With the Green Triangle as a significant hub of South Australia’s forest product industries, and Australia’s second-largest collective plantation and wood processing zone, this latest CSIRO report clearly illustrates that the Green Triangle region has one of the highest potential for forest plantation and farm forestry in Australia, demonstrating just how vital our Southeast community is to the economic, social and environmental development of our state and nation”.
“SAFPA welcomes this recognition of forestry’s potential in carbon sequestration from CSIRO and we look forward to working with all levels of Government to maximise our opportunities in the carbon market and to further grow our industry by planting more trees”, concluded Mr Paine.