The logging and burning of native forests is the single biggest source of carbon emissions in Tasmania, confirmed in Dr Jen Sanger’s Forest Carbon 2025 update released today.
While the Tasmanian Forest Agreement saw emissions from native forest logging fall sharply from 2012 – allowing Tasmania to claim net zero status – progress has stalled.
The best, fastest way for Tasmania to take real climate action is to end the logging and burning of native forests.
Native forest logging produces two and half times the emissions of the State’s entire transport sector, but if we did the scientifically and ethically right thing our public forests could store up to 75 million tonnes of CO2e by 2050.
Even today, the science tells us our forests are drawing down about 22 million tonnes of carbon each year.
That’s the same as taking every car off Australian roads for a year.
In this new, cooperative Parliament, the Rockliff Government has a golden opportunity to protect forests and deliver strong climate action for the country.
As it is now, however, they’re moving towards the burning of forests for energy to prop up an industry which is on its knees.
The native forest logging industry is losing international markets to more sustainably produced plantation wood. It wants a lifeline in the form of forest biomass – burning wood from native forests for energy that’s being greenwashed as ‘renewable’.
Already, the Rockliff Government is facilitating native forest biomass burning through the Railton Cement plant, with federal government support.
There are also plans for biomass burning through Greenham’s Abattoir in the north west, at Liberty Bay smelter, and two new e-fuel plants proposing to burn wood to make hydrogen.
While some biomass can come from plantation residues, the plantation estate isn’t large enough and inevitably there will be more pressure on our carbon-rich, biodiverse forests to feed the boilers.
For the climate, for our forests and the incredible diversity of life they sustain, for our children and young people who deserve a safe climate future, and for our brand, to head down the path of forest biomass burning would be a massive mistake.
The science is clear, our beautiful forests are – intrinsically, socially and economically – worth far more standing.
We hope the Premier takes the time to read Dr Sanger’s report. It could be his legacy to deliver real protection for our incredible forests, and the gift of genuine climate action to the world.
Tasmania’s Forest Carbon Update 2025, can be found here.
