Indigenous Forests and Forest Sink Policy in New Zealand

This paper tackles the complex issue of how to include regenerating indigenous forest in a domestic carbon credit system. The paper specifically addresses New Zealand conditions but most of the issues and conclusions are relevant in any developed country with indigenous regrowth. The paper begins by defining the constraints that any sink policy must meet. I begin by discussing environmental integrity, and in particular measurement and monitoring, “humaninduced” change, and permanence. I then outline the international rules as they stand and how these could be translated into domestic rules.