Issues

Climate Change

Kyoto 2

Assuming the New Zealand Government continues as part of the Kyoto Protocol, a new Kyoto arrangement must be assigned for 2012. WPA is working with agencies negotiating for Kyoto 2 to ensure that wood is not treated as it currently is whereby it is assumed that all of the stored carbon is released at harvest, which is clearly not accurate.

Part of the NZ Wood campaign has been to ensure that those using wood understand that a significant amount of carbon is stored in wood-based products, not only those with a short shelf life such as paper and packaging, but especially those with a long life such as structural lumber in houses and items of furniture. This needs to be accounted for in the new Kyoto rules.