Managing ETS forest land

If your forest land is registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) you will need to complete certain tasks.

Land in the ETS needs management

As part of managing forest land, you can add or remove post-1989 forest land from your ETS registration. You must remove land that’s no longer eligible to be in the ETS. You must also notify MPI if you buy or sell forest land registered in the ETS.

From 2023, forest land can be registered in the ETS as permanent forestry. Permanent forestry is for forests you don’t intend to harvest. Land in permanent forestry can only be removed from the ETS under special circumstances.

If you are registered in the ETS with post-1989 forest land, you need to calculate and account for changes in your forest’s carbon storage. This determines whether you need to pay or receive New Zealand Units (NZUs or units). You’ll report these calculations by submitting emissions returns. How you calculate the amount of carbon in the forest land depends on:

how much forest land you have registered in the ETS
the carbon accounting method the land is registered under.