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Autopia Management

9 December 2009

Trees don't understand politics

Greenfleet has been planting native forests since 1997 to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere on behalf of our supporters.  We have planted more than 3 million trees in the last 2 years, and have planted more than 6 million in total.

Greenfleet was the first not for profit organisation to be approved as an Approved Abatement Provider under Greenhouse Friendly™, the voluntary carbon standard established by the Australian Government.  The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) was meant to supplant this standard.  Now, from 1 July 2010 we have no standard, as the Government has stated that it will discontinue Greenhouse Friendly™ from that date.

The CPRS represented an opportunity for corporate Australia to invest funds into our degraded landscape by planting biodiverse forests, which as they grow, take carbon dioxide  from the atmosphere.  Last week, the Government announced that the CPRS regulations would also be the mechanism for accrediting forests grown for voluntary action.

No CPRS for now means no standard.  Investment will undoubtedly again be delayed. 

Aren't we lucky that trees don't understand politics?  The trees we plant now will grow, taking more carbon from the atmosphere sooner.

Our climate doesn't understand politics either.  Further delay on taking action means we will have to take greater action later.  The CPRS is a political compromise, but it is better than nothing.  In the meantime, Greenfleet will continue to plant biodiverse forests on behalf of our supporters.