• Climate Change
• Legislation & regulations
• Forestry emissions trading scheme
• Other sustainable forestry initiatives
• Agriculture emissions trading scheme
• International climate change
• Sustainable land management
• Staying informed
• Background reports & analysis
• Previous consultation & background information
  • Regional forestry public meetings
  • Discussion document

Sustainable land management and climate change

Options for a Plan of Action

A public discussion document for those with an interest in New Zealand’s forestry and agriculture sectors.

A New Zealand Government Initiative on Sustainability

See the full text version (html) of the printed document or sections of it by following the text (html) links below.

Download the full document as a PDF file  or sections of it by clicking on the PDF links. [386K PDF]

Note: A supplementary discussion paper was released on 22 February 2007: Design Options for a Tradeable Deforestation Permit Regime

Table of Contents

• Ministerial Foreword
• Executive summary
  • Pillar 1: Adapting to climate change
  • Pillar 2: Reducing emissions and creating carbon sinks
  • Pillar 3: Capitalising on business opportunities arising from climate change
  • Pillar 4: Working together
• Consultation
• Terms used in this document
• PDF Version of this section [106K]

SECTION A: OVERVIEW

• Introduction
• The proposed Plan of Action
  • Figure I: Government climate change principles and strategic direction
• Why climate change is important to New Zealand
  • Agriculture and climate change
  • Forestry and climate change
  • Māori and climate change
• PDF Version of this section [ 99K]

SECTION B: A PLAN OF ACTION FOR THE LAND MANAGEMENT SECTORS

• Goals for a Plan of Action
  • Figure II: Overview of the four pillars and options for consultation in the land management sectors
• Four Pillars underpinning the Plan of Action
  • Pillar 1: Adapting to climate change
  • Pillar 2: Reducing emissions and creating carbon sinks
    • Figure III: Overview of possible options for managing agricultural emissions
    • Figure IV: Overview of possible forestry options
  • Pillar 3: Capitalising on business opportunities
  • Pillar 4: Working together
• PDF Version of this section [109K]

SECTION C: PILLAR 2 IN DETAIL

• Introduction
• Reducing agricultural emissions
  • Figure V: Overview of possible options for managing agricultural emissions
  • Agricultural Option 1: Research
  • Agricultural Option 2: Technology transfer
  • Agricultural Option 3: Voluntary reporting
  • Agricultural Option 4: Incentive for nitrification inhibitors
  • Agricultural Option 5: Charge on nitrogen fertiliser
  • Agricultural Option 6: Tradeable permit regime for agricultural emissions
  • Agricultural Option 7: Offset schemes for agricultural
  • Agricultural Option 8: RMA standards to control agricultural greenhouse gas emissions
  • Agricultural Option 9: RMA standards to control new agricultural land use after deforestation
  • Agricultural Option 10: Charge where deforested land is used for agriculture
• Actions to reduce forestry emissions and increase carbon sinks
  • Introduction
  • Afforestation options
    • Figure VI: Overview of possible afforestation options
    • Afforestation Option 1: Afforestation grant scheme (AGS)
    • Afforestation Option 2: Choice between an AGS and devolution of sink credits and their associated liabilities
• Deforestation options
  • Figure VII: Overview of possible deforestation management options
  • Deforestation Option 1: Flat charge on land use change from forestry to another use
  • Deforestation Option 2: Tradeable permit regime
  • Deforestation Option 3: Centrally determine deforestation levels
  • Deforestation Option 4: RMA controls on deforestation
• PDF version of this section [151K]

SECTION D: CONSULTATION AND SUBMISSIONS

• Having your say
• Questions
• PDF version of this section [ 91K]

ANNEXES

• Annex 1: Central government programmes relevant to the Plan of Action
• Annex 2: Private sector initiatives relevant to the Plan of Action
• Annex 3: Permanent Forest Sink Initiative
• Annex 4: Global warming and climate change
• PDF version of this section [ 78K]

GLOSSARY

PDF version of this section [ 81K]

ISBN: 0-478-29863-3

© Crown copyright 2006. This document may be copied for non-commercial purposes providing its source is acknowledged.

The information in this publication is for consultation only; it is not Government policy. While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this publication is accurate, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry does not accept any responsibility or liability for error of fact, omission, interpretation or opinion that may be present, nor for the consequences of any decisions based on this information. Any view or opinion expressed does not necessarily represent the view of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Officials will prepare a public summary of submissions received on this discussion paper. The public summary will not attribute comments to individual submitters. Please note that your comments will be subject to the Official Information Act 1982 and may need to be publicly released. If you object to the release of any material provided in your submission, please specify the material that you consider should be withheld, and the grounds for withholding. Please note that even if you do identify specific material that you consider should be withheld, we cannot guarantee that we will withhold this material. All requests under the Official Information Act need to be assessed in terms of the Act and while we will take into account your views, we are not bound by them.

Contact for Enquiries

Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change
MAF
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 CLIMATE (254 628)
Contact this person