Tasmania’s State forests – storing more carbon each year than the carbon emitted by half a million cars

The results of a study commissioned by Forestry Tasmania show that between now and 2050, Tasmania’s state forest will absorb more atmospheric carbon dioxide – a key greenhouse gas (GHG) – than it will release, making Tasmania’s state forests a net sink of carbon.


“The study, conducted by FT and MBAC Consulting Pty Ltd estimated that the carbon stored in Tasmania’s state forest and in the wood products derived from state forests will increase by 31 million tonnes between 2007 and 2050 – an average of 720,000 tonnes per year,” said Dr Hans Drielsma, Executive General Manager of FT.

“The current carbon balance of state forests is estimated at 326 million tonnes, increasing to 357 million tonnes of stored carbon by 2050,” Dr Drielsma said.

“To put this figure another way, (using the Australian National University’s formula) the annual increase in carbon stored is equivalent to the carbon emitted each year by 585,365 cars.

“ That’s three times the number of cars than are currently registered in Tasmania.

“Each year, Tasmania’s forests are absorbing 24% of the entire state’s carbon emissions (based on emissions for 2005 reported by the Australian Greenhouse Office).

“Tasmanians can be assured that state forests are being responsibly managed for multiple benefits, including carbon sequestration.

“The study confirms that wood-based products from actively managed forests are better for carbon emissions than steel or plastic. Forestry uses less energy during production and the best part is – forests grow back – a fact that anti-forestry groups don’t like to talk about,” Dr Drielsma added.

“So far, forestry has shown itself to be the only greenhouse gas positive industry. The sustainable development of forest products can help reduce society’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

“People deserve to know the truth about forests and carbon. Carbon stored in wood is released back into the atmosphere only when the wood or wood product decays or is burnt. These were the findings of the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Accounting.

“By removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, forests, forestry and the use of wood products are helping mitigate climate change.”

“Measurements in the study included above and below ground carbon stocks on state forest, wood-based products from Tasmania’s forests now in use and in landfills, and considered regeneration burning, FT’s wood production strategy and the energy used in harvesting and in FT’s administrative offices.”

Dr Drielsma said the increased carbon store was due in part to the fact that there’ll be more standing forests in Tasmania over the next nine decades not less.

“This is the right time to kill once and for all the myth that deforestation is occurring in Tasmania.

“Anti forestry groups would have Tasmanians believe that forest is being cleared. That is not true. Harvested native forests are regrown and the young vibrant growing forests remove carbon from the atmosphere at a greater rate than mature forests, “ Dr Drielsma said.

According to the Forest and Wood Products Research Development Corporation, trees sequester carbon more rapidly during their peak growing years, generally early in their life cycle. For example a native regrowth forest could be expected to have absorbed 60 percent of its expected total carbon in the first 50 years.

Dr Drielsma said the study supported other research which showed sustainable, well-managed forestry was part of the climate change solution.

5 December, 2007
ENDS

Links:
Climate change: threat or opportunity? (Article from FT’s Branchline magazine, June 2007).
MBAC Report - Forestry Tasmania’s Carbon Sequestration Position, December 2007
Forests, Wood and Australia’s Carbon Balance.

Media Inquiries:
David Tuck,
Forestry Tasmania
Corporate Relations
6233 8249