Forestry climate change options outlined

The Government today outlined proposals to stem deforestation and get farmers to change practices to better protect the environment. Forestry Minister Jim Anderton and Climate Change Policy Minister David Parker released Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change on options for the agriculture and forestry sectors. The Government needs to increase the number of trees planted in order to offset carbon emissions if it is to come close to meeting its obligations under the international Kyoto Protocol treaty on climate change. A "significant" forestry planting programme using thousands of acres was one option and farmers would be asked to report emissions produced. Other options included incentives to encourage farmers to use nitrification inhibitors to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, a charge for using nitrogen fertiliser, the ability for farmers to trade greenhouse emissions and offset emissions by planting trees or other means, and a change to Resource Management Act Standards so local authorities could limit greenhouse gas emissions. More controversial were options for: a charge for changing land used for forestry to another use, a tradeable permit regime where forest owners were liable for emissions above the level of permits they hold, i.e. they would be liable for deforestation, a law to make it illegal to deforest land without government approval and RMA controls on deforestation. There were also options to promote forest planting such as an afforestation grant scheme. Under this people could tender for a grant to establish forests. Research into ways of capitalising on business opportunities and possibilities for the land management sector and the Government to work together were also canvassed. Mr Anderton justified the tough options saying climate change had huge implications for New Zealand and for the industries targeted in the action plan. "Our economy depends on agriculture and forestry. These sectors will bear the brunt of the economic and environmental impacts of climate change," he said. "Action needs to be take on a number of fronts to address these issues and support economic growth." - NZPA Todd McClay and Piyush Goyal are to the fore as a big delegation from India visits NZ.