Carbon sequestration through reforestation is expected to play an important role in Australia’s efforts to try and reduce carbon emissions to meet Kyoto commitments, and any other forthcoming international agreements.
As trees grow, they absorb CO2 from the air and store carbon within their leaves, stem, wood, bark and roots. Through decades of scientific research, the carbon sequestration process can be accounted for using strict standards.
Once the standards are met, the sequestered carbon is converted to an equivalent number of carbon credits and sold to people or organisations looking to reduce or offset their carbon emissions.
There are generally 2 pathways investors or landholders can take to enter into the forestry industry in order to create or sell carbon credits for compliance reasons. These include;
1. Revegetation Projects: Planting native species on marginal sites or sites that generally have poor productivity and less carbon sequestration. Accruing carbon using this method requires minimal intervention and low management costs. Revegetation projects aid environmental rehabilitation and are often referred to as environmental plantings.
Well managed reforestation projects are able to produce carbon credits that can be sold onto a range of global carbon markets, including both voluntary and mandatory schemes within Australia. The amounts of carbon stored in any forests depends largely on the productivity of the land.
2. Commercial Forestry: Another option for landholders and investors is sustainable tree plantations, which can be managed for both timber and carbon simultaneously, increasing overall returns by creating alternative revenue streams.
Regardless of which pathway you choose, provided appropriate standards are met, forestry projects are a guaranteed way of removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
SelectCarbon can arrange a forestry project specific to your needs, that provide an ongoing stream of carbon credits, while also allowing substantial returns on your forestry investment. SelectCarbon can offer companies and individuals a superior carbon management plan tailored to reduce their exposure to a high carbon price in the future.
The SelectCarbon project cycle ensures each deliverable is met following a stringent due diligence process that follows the highest possible standards (Australian Standard AS 4978.1 (2006) Quantification, moniotring and reporting of greenhouse gases in forest projects- afforestation and reforestation), while also allowing Investors and Landholders to understand what is required when establishing carbon sinks.
Please feel free to contact SelectCarbon on +61 (07) 4041 6639 or via email for a confidential discussion about carbon mitigation and investment activities.
