Following the Commonwealth's decision to pursue a 62-70 per cent below 2005 level net zero emission reduction target by 2025 - the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) is reminding the Government that it cannot be achieved without the contribution of the forestry sector's entire supply chain, Chief Executive Officer of AFPA, Diana Hallam said today.
"Australia's former Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb said it best on the release of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) review, stating, 'the only known pathway known to science that has immediate capacity - to remove greenhouse gases, particularly CO2 from the atmosphere is photosynthesis'. Australia's sustainable forestry sector grows, processes and manufactures trees into a range of essential products - locking up carbon at scale," Diana Hallam said.
"We acknowledge the Government's sector plans announced alongside the new 2035 target - especially the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan and Built Environment Sector Plan - which point to enormous opportunities for forestry to be an essential part of the decarbonisation solution. We will engage with the Commonwealth to ensure forestry and its supply chain can help meet the Government's targets, with the biggest possible contribution.
"Through timber in new home and building construction, wood-fibre based packaging, paper and tissue products, power poles and even garden and mulch products - alongside production trees absorbing carbon as they grow - the forestry sector has the unique ability to help our national economy decarbonise while providing essential employment and economic contributions for the nation.
"We will work specifically with the Albanese Government on existing initiatives like the Support Plantation Establishment Program (SPEP), the continued and necessary contribution from sustainable native forestry and how industry and the government can partner through the processing and manufacturing cogs of our supply chain - as the country works towards net zero 2025," Diana Hallam concluded.
