Event to unveil business opportunities in carbon forestry

February 15, 2011 - Carbon Forestry 2011 is the first event of its type run in New Zealand, profiling key investment drivers and future business opportunities in carbon forestry. This international event is being hosted by the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) on 13-14th July in Auckland, New Zealand.

Mention the words climate change and many businesses will think it’s important - but just at the moment - it’s not impacting too much on me or my current operation. Bring up the term Emissions Trading Scheme and the eyes start to glaze over and when you start hearing acronyms like ETS, VER, REDD, AAU’s, PFSI, CDM and NZU’s bandied around, you’ve well and truly lost the plot.

For better or worse, New Zealand’s leading from the front in its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. As most of us are aware, we’ve taken the plunge by introducing a nation-wide mandatory carbon pricing scheme. To meet our obligations during the Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period, New Zealand bought into an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Forestry was the first sector to enter the ETS and a key feature of the scheme is the ability to generate and sell carbon credits into the international carbon market. There’s growing recognition amongst the wider community of new business and investment opportunities for forest and land owners, investors and those wishing to get into the emerging market of carbon trading.

“The landscape is changing rapidly. Financial institutions are increasingly being asked for advice on how to get into and trade in the carbon market. Corporate entities are also looking to acquire larger volumes of carbon credits to manage their long-term emissions liability,” says Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) Director, Brent Apthorp. “With this in mind, Carbon Forestry 2011 has been set up to help answer key questions on carbon pricing, the operation of the carbon market and carbon forestry as a new asset class.”

This event features notable international experts, including Henry Derwent, CEO of the International Emissions Trading Association in Switzerland; Richard Stanton, CEO of the Australian Plantation Products and Paper Association; Murali Kankasabi, Managing Director of Environmental Financial Products (former VP of the Chicago Climate Exchange), USA and Anthony Hobley, Global Head of Climate Change and Carbon Finance, for Norton Rose, Australia.

Further details on the event and programme can be found on www.carbonforestryevents.com