Greens Forest spokesperson Senator Janet Rice has announced today the Greens’ fully-costed ‘Protecting Native Forests, Protecting the Climate’ policy.
The Greens’ plan is an integrated approach of immediate action on the climate crisis by protecting Australia’s forests and banking the carbon benefits from ending logging; funding ecological restoration and supporting regional workers and communities through a just transition.
The Greens plan would commit ten billion dollars over 20 years, to be provided to state governments that end native forest logging, including states that have already committed to doing so.
The funding would be allocated between state governments, with $800 million allocated on the basis of the most recent log harvesting volumes. The remaining $200 million will be allocated between jurisdictions (including the Northern Territory) as negotiated by the Commonwealth.
As part of taking real action on the climate crisis and reaping the benefits of the carbon value, state governments that end native forest logging must commit to not using forests to create offsets for fossil fuel expansion.
The Commonwealth and state governments would be required to allocate a major proportion of the $10 billion to ecological restoration and ensuring a just transition for workers and communities. These projects would provide significant employment in areas such as restoring previously logged forests where post-logging regeneration has failed; pest and weed control; effective, ecologically appropriate and culturally-informed fire management, and other projects that help restore and protect the incredible beauty of Australia’s native forests.