The Field Measurement Approach (FMA)

What the FMA is for

The FMA uses information you collect about your forest to create participant-specific tables. You can then use these tables to calculate the carbon stock of your forest.

You must use the FMA if you have 100 hectares or more of post-1989 forest land registered in the ETS at any time during a mandatory emissions return period. If you have less than 100 hectares of forest land registered in the ETS you cannot use the FMA. Instead, you need to use the carbon tables in the Climate Change (Forestry) Regulations 2022 to assess your carbon stocks.

If you aren’t sure whether you should be using the FMA, contact us at FMArequests@mpi.govt.nz

Calculating the amount of carbon in your forest land

Why you have to use the FMA

The carbon tables in the regulations give average values for forests across New Zealand. These tables cannot account for the range of growing conditions seen in individual forests. Differences in growing conditions lead to variation in forest growth, which affects how much carbon a forest stores.

The FMA produces participant-specific tables which can provide a more accurate estimate of carbon stock for participants with a large amount of forest land.

How the FMA works

If you need to use the FMA, you’ll need to contact Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service and we will give you a set of sample plot locations for your forest. For example, if you have 100 hectares of exotic forest land you will need to set up at least 30 plots.

In each plot you will need to collect information like the number of trees, tree diameter, and height. The ‘FMA Standard’ and the ‘FMA Information Standard’ (below) tell you exactly how to do this.

We use the information you collect in the sample plots to create a set of participant-specific tables for your forest land. You then use these tables to calculate the carbon stock of your forest, the same as you would with the default carbon stock tables in the regulations.

From 1 January 2023, you only need an up-to-date set of participant-specific tables for the emissions return at the end of a mandatory emissions return period. For all other emissions returns, you must use:

• your latest set of participant-specific tables, or
• the tables in the regulations.

Unless there are changes to your forest land after you do your measurements, you only need to measure your forest land once in each mandatory emissions return period. There are some exceptions to this for the 2023-2025 period, outlined below. 

You may choose to measure your forest and request new participant-specific tables more often.

Guide to the Field Measurement Approach [PDF, 1.3 MB]

Changes to the Guide to the Field Measurement Approach [PDF, 217 KB]

Field Measurement Approach Standard [PDF, 520 KB]

Field Measurement Approach Information Standard [PDF, 687 KB]

Field Measurement Approach online user guide [PDF, 1.4 MB]

Whether to measure your forest in the 2023 to 2025 mandatory emissions return period

If you have 100 or more hectares of post-1989 forest land in the ETS at any point during a mandatory emissions return period, you usually need to measure your forest at least once to get up to date participant-specific tables. However, the current mandatory emissions return period is shorter than usual. You may not need to measure your forest or get new participant-specific tables during this period.

If your area of registered land in the ETS has or will increase or decrease during the 2023-2025 period, use your existing participant-specific tables (or if you do not have them for the forest type, the default tables).

There are 2 cases where you must measure your forest and get new participant-specific tables. If your registered land in the ETS does not change between when you were last issued sample plots and 31 December 2025, you must measure as below:  

• If you had a temporary waiver for the emissions return at the end of the 2018 to 2022 mandatory emissions return period, you will need to measure your forest during the 2023 to 2025 mandatory emissions return period and submit the data to us to get carbon tables for the return due in 2026. If you collected data from some or all of your sample plots between 2018 and 2022, you can submit that data instead of measuring those plots in your forest.  
• If you had new participant-specific tables issued between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022 and you don’t change your ETS landholding in the current period, you may resubmit the same data to get tables issued for the current period.

If either of these apply to you, contact us at forestryETS@mpi.govt.nz  

The current period runs from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025, and is 3 years instead of the usual 5 years. It is shorter to realign New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme with global reporting periods.

Read more about mandatory emissions return periods

Waivers from the FMA process

If you are unable to establish a sample plot or collect your information, you may be able to get a waiver or an extension.

Find out more about applying for waivers and extensions