9 December 2022

The Government has recently consulted on aspects of its climate change response, including proposals to price agricultural emissions and approaches to mitigating the environmental effects of forests planted for carbon sequestration.

Scion has provided input to these consultations building on our 75 years of experience in science and innovation relating to the establishment and management of forests in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our submission on proposed changes to the National Environmental Standards for Plantation Forestry focused on the importance of a science-, mātauranga-, and evidence-based approach to the assessment of environmental effects of forest establishment, growth, and harvesting, and highlighted that some environmental effects of forest establishment and growth will be similar irrespective of which species are planted, and for which purpose. That includes forests established with indigenous as well as exotic tree species. Scion’s submission also recognised that intentions of forest owners change over time, and so national standards should focus on the actual effects of forest establishment, growth, and harvest rather than on the purpose for which a forest was originally established.

Scion’s brief submission on agricultural emissions pricing focused on sequestration of carbon by vegetation, noting the need for any recognised sequestration to be additional, and for a pricing system to have disincentives for vegetation clearance as well as incentives for afforestation.

Since submissions closed the Government announced it is considering changes to how on-farm carbon sequestration by different kinds of vegetation might be included in the Emissions Trading Scheme. Policies proposed to support New Zealand’s climate change response will all need to be supported by new research and innovation, and Scion stands ready to work with our key partners and stakeholders to help deliver this.

For any further information regarding Scion’s input into these and other government requests for comment, please contact Roger.Dungan@scionresearch.com or Joanne.Dow@scionresearch.com