Heath Molden and Craig Taylor Central West Forestry Hub managers.
The Central West Forestry Hub has released a comprehensive report showcasing how the entire timber industry in the Central West region results in more carbon stored than is emitted. Source: Timberbiz
Hub manager Heath Molden said the report highlighted that the Central West forestry industry sequesters more greenhouse gases than it releases.
These activities start with growing seedlings and end when timber products go to landfill at the end of their useful life over a one-hundred-year period.
“This report, carried out by sustainability firm thinkstep-anz and the NSW Department of Primary Industry, shows the Central West forestry industry operates as a climate-positive force. In the 2021/22 financial year the industry sequestered and stored 1,100,787 tonnes of carbon more than it emitted,” Mr Molden said.
“This is because when a tree grows it sequesters carbon and when the tree is harvested that carbon is stored within the manufactured timber and wood products for their entire life.
“The Hub’s analysis of the report’s findings shows that the carbon emissions off-set through the industry’s operations are equivalent to the emissions generated annually by 169,000 cars, or 63,000 households. This is equivalent to the carbon emitted by every household in the Oberon LGA 25 times over.”
All emissions, including heavy machinery and trucks taking logs into the mills and finished products out of the mills, were included in the calculations.
“We are proud to lead the way in the timber industry by ensuring responsible management of our forests, from seedlings to the end-of-life of products,” CWFH Chairman Steve Dadd said.
“Our aim is to provide sustainable solutions while preserving the environment for future generations.
“The industry makes a significant contribution by being climate positive in its production cycle, while providing sustainable and renewable timber as a resource for construction and everyday products,” Mr Dadd said.
“Timber is a sustainable construction material and has been referred to as “the ultimate renewable”. The Central West plantations supplying timber for floors, fences, furniture, and frames found in homes are continuously replenished through sustainable practices.”
Mr Dadd said that by choosing timber products, consumers contributed to a greener future and supported a sustainable local industry.
“Oberon is proud to be a significant contributor to the work being done by the CWFH which is leading the way in the timber industry and championing the sustainable way in which it operates,” Oberon Mayor Mark Kellam said.
“The timber industry makes a remarkable economic contribution in the region. By operating as a carbon-positive industry and promoting the use of our sustainable timber, the Hub sets a strong example for environmental stewardship in the Central West and showcases the industry’s dedication to a sustainable future,” Cr Kellam said.
The report can be read at https://cwfh.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CWFH-ZP102690-Carbon-Footprint-Report-v1_2.pdf
