We published the summary of submissions from the consultation.
We hosted webinars and online hui about the proposals.
We released a video presentation
It provides an overview of the public discussion paper.
We added 5 research reports to help inform the discussion paper.
Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service consulted on 2 proposals as part of the Maximising Forest Carbon Programme.
The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) was not designed to recognise the unique characteristics of space-planted forests. Space-planted poplars and willows are currently credited under the exotic hardwoods forest type. We need to consider how we can best accommodate these plantings.
The current exotic hardwoods tables are based on outdated data from a species that is no longer representative of exotic hardwoods grown in New Zealand. These tables only include carbon stock values to age 35, meaning tables will run out in 2024 for forests planted in 1990.
We proposed improvements to the default carbon tables for exotic hardwoods in the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022, to reflect our better understanding of how carbon is stored. Consultation on these proposals opened on 29 August and closed on 24 October 2023.
These proposals were the first in a series of improvements to the default carbon tables under the Maximising Forest Carbon Programme.
A summary of the proposals is on this page and full details are in the consultation document.
An updated exotic hardwoods default carbon look up table – Scion, April 2022 [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Estimated minimum poplar stocking to qualify as forest land – Scion, April 2022 [PDF, 1.3 MB]
Identification of poplar and willow species – Scion, November 2021 [PDF, 971 KB]
Recognising space plantings and exotic hardwoods in the NZ ETS (13.08) – YouTube
The default carbon tables in the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022 are used to calculate carbon storage by participants in the NZ ETS with less than 100 hectares of post-1989 forest land registered in the scheme or pre-1990 forest land.
We proposed to create a new forest type and default carbon tables for space-planted poplars and willows (typically between 50 and 200 stems per hectare). Poplars and willows are often planted at wide spacings (space-planted) on farms for erosion control and stock shelter, and are also efficient at carbon storage.
We also proposed to change the representative species for the exotic hardwoods tables from Eucalyptus nitens to Eucalyptus fastigata and extend the upper limit of the tables from 35 to 45 years.
The proposals apply to both post-1989 and pre-1990 forest land. The new tables would be ready to use in 2026 (the next mandatory emissions return period).
Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.
People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.
If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.
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