How can DOC become "carbon neutral" by 2012?
The Department of Conservation is one of six New Zealand government agencies required to become “carbon neutral” by 2012. To this end, DOC will reduce some of its greenhouse gas emissions directly, and offset the remainder by drawing on the carbon storage properties of trees.
Cutting down on the use of fossil fuels, largely in transport, would be the main way for DOC to reduce its carbon footprint directly.
Planting trees and/or allowing natural and/or enhanced regeneration of plants to sequester carbon from the atmosphere would help DOC become carbon neutral. There are caveats: forests only absorb carbon while they are growing, and the sink effect can only be counted as such if the forests are forever prevented from burning down, cleared or being destroyed by pests.
Animal pest control on DOC-managed land may in selected cases lead to emissions reductions and/or more carbon sequestration.
Climate change mitigation may be a way of levering outside resources for more conservation on DOC-managed land with spin-offs for nature protection and ecosystem services.
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