What carbon tables are and why you need them
Trees store different amounts of carbon as they grow. In the ETS, you need to calculate and report on carbon stock in your forest land. Carbon tables help you do these calculations. They tell you how many tonnes of carbon (carbon dioxide) are in forest land per hectare, based on the characteristics of the forest.
There are 2 types of carbon tables:
- standard carbon tables, also known as "default tables"
- carbon tables made specifically for you, known as "participant-specific tables".
The tables you use depend on:
- whether you have post-1989 or pre-1990 forest land, and
- how much of it you have.
The history of your forest land can help you understand what type of forest land you have.
Forest land in the Emissions Trading Scheme
There are more carbon tables for post-1989 forest land than for pre-1990 forest land. This is because after you clear post-1989 forest land, you have to account for the continuing emissions from residues on the land. This continues for 10 years after clearing.
Before you can calculate how much carbon is in your forest land, you need to know which carbon tables to use.
Standard carbon tables
You must use the standard carbon tables to calculate your carbon if you have:
- pre-1990 forest land
- less than 100 hectares of post-1989 forest land registered in the ETS throughout the mandatory emissions return period.
The standard carbon tables are provided by the regulations for forestry in the ETS. They're based on average growth rates of each forest type across New Zealand.
Carbon tables for post-1989 forest land – NZ Legislation
Carbon tables for pre-1990 forest land – NZ Legislation
Participant-specific carbon tables
If you have 100 hectares or more of post-1989 forest land registered in the ETS, you must use carbon tables specific to your forest land. We create these for you based on information you provide about your forest. Using these tables will give a more accurate calculation of carbon stored in your forest land.
Even if your landholding changes, and you end up with less than 100 hectares at the end of the mandatory emissions return period, you must still use participant-specific tables for that period.
There may be some cases where you need to use the standard carbon tables, or a combination of both kinds. We’ll advise you on what to do in these situations.
If you need carbon tables created for you, you will first need to make some measurements of your forest at plot locations that we allocate to you. You must then upload the data collected from these measurements to our online system.
Using the field measurement approach to get carbon tables
Find out more
Identifying forest type, region and age for calculating carbon
Grouping areas of forest with the same characteristics for calculating carbon
Calculating changes in carbon stock for post-1989 forest land
Calculating carbon emissions from deforesting pre-1990 forest land
