Global statement on biomass welcomed by AFPA

07 February 2022

Ross Hampton

A new global statement heralding biomass as part of the suite of climate friendly solutions that nations around the world are embracing has been welcomed by the Australian Forest Products Association. Source: Timberbiz

The statement, released following COP26, is one of three important position statements agreed to by the 28 country International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA) group.

The other two statements address the growing role of plantations in helping combat climate change and the need for more carbon storing timber to replace emissions intensive building products.

“This is an extremely timely set of reports for Australia on the eve of our federal election,” AFPA CEO Ross Hampton said.

“There is a great need in Australia for another 400,000 hectares of plantations, planted close to sawmills and processing plants, to help solve our timber supply issues and reach the government’s ‘one billion new trees’ goal.

“In addition, more needs to be done to promote the use of native hardwood and softwood timber in medium and higher rise buildings, along with a greater focus on the positive role biomass (especially wood offcuts and wood waste from processing) can play to lower the emissions profiles of large energy users,” he said.

“All these matters will be front and centre for our industries in the lead up to the election.”

In releasing the reports, ICFPA President Derek Nighbor said that globally the forest products sector was well positioned to underpin low carbon solutions.

“Climate policies that make use of the carbon capturing benefits of sustainable forest management, the innovative use of wood in the built environment and the abundance of potential in the growing forest bioeconomy can help chart a course to post pandemic growth and a lower carbon future” he said.

To read the new ICFPA policy statements, visit https://icfpa.org/resources/