Who we are...

The Kyoto Forestry Association (KFA) represents forest owners who have planted more than 200,000 ha in New Zealand since 1989.

KFA members believe that established forests and new forest plantings are essential ‘carbon sinks’ in the fight against global warming. As a result of continuing changes in goverment policy new forest planting is virtually at a standstill.

KFA members consider themselves environmentalists; they are very conscious of the many issues that challenges us today. Together they have carried out significant areas of conservation planting and converted many thousands of hectares of eroded and unsustainable steep hill country into stabilised forestry that keep rivers and streams clean and provided a safe wildlife habitat. They are agreed that climate change is a major threat caused predominantly by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The Kyoto Forestry Association is committed to the aim of ongoing forest establishment and forestry investment in New Zealand.

History: The Labour Government projected that the Kyoto Forest sinks would generate $1.3 billion dollars in credits during the first Kyoto commitment period, 2008 to 2012. They initially decided to nationalise the carbon credits to satisfy their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and this threatened to rob many New Zealand investors, who planted forests budgeting that a significant part of their forest return would arise from the internationally tradable carbon credits generated.

The Kyoto Forestry Association was formed to fight the government's proposal. Association members asked how could a policy that discouraged new forest planting be called environmentally friendly? The policy was completely contrary to the very aims of the Kyoto Protocol.

KFA mobolised thirty thousand supporters to fund a campaign in opposition to the proposal. Close to three thousand people attended consultation meetings in February and March 2007 and the same number of individuals and organisations prepared submissions on the issue.

The campaign was succesfull. On 20 September 2007 the Labour Government announced that owners of forests planted after 1 January 1990 would be able to opt into an emissions trading scheme accruing both credits and associated liabilities.