Carbon sequestration:
Generally wilding forests are ineligible to be registered as post-1989 forests in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), so new wilding conifer forests have no ETS value.
- The presence of those trees will prevent other, more productive uses from occurring (including the planting of exotic or indigenous forests, which can be entered into the ETS).
- Wilding species are often the wrong species for carbon capture. They do not grow fast, tall or capture much carbon compared to other more suitable tree species. Some species on difficult sites may not even reach a height of 5 metres which is the required definition of an ETS forest.
- Their impact on the environment outweighs any benefit they could offer.
- As the wilding conifer stand matures, the amount of carbon sequestered reaches a point where no more carbon can be sequestered. Our native trees are a better long-term answer where they not only sequester carbon long into the future but ensure biodiversity is safeguarded for our future generations.
- A monoculture for carbon sequestration is not the answer to climate change, biodiversity is just as important for our ecosystems and future planet health.
- In general, well managed indigenous forests are likely to have better environmental and biodiversity outcomes over time than comparable exotic forests.
