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Download AudioThe Carbon Forestry Group says proposals to change New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme risk destroying the potential value of Māori forest land and replacing it with something that will not work and will cost the country billions.
Spokesperson Andrew Cushen told Radio Waatea talk host Donna Awatere Huata the consultation document released this week shows a preoccupation by the Government and Climate Minister James Shaw with gross emissions.
They seem to believe the price of forestry offsets is too cheap and it is discouraging organisations from doing the hard work of cutting their emissions.
“That’s their argument. That’s their fear. I think that’s massively overstated and that in actual fact trying to cripple forestry and its ability to net off these emissions isn’t what the experts internationally say, is ecologically unwise, is not how the real world works in terms of gross emissions and that we simply can’t afford this preoccupation with cutting gross emissions,” Mr Cushen says.
He says all four options in the consultation document amount to a government takeover of the carbon market, rather than allowing the market to do its work.
risk ocnsultaiton toake all poretnial calue t Maori and replace it wuth somehtng that will not work and will cost billios
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