Land use, land use change and forestry sector greenhouse gas emissions
You are viewing the archived 2015 report.
Key finding
Emissions from the land sector have decreased 69% between 2005 and 2014, however Queensland is the largest source of this type of emission in Australia.
Queensland’s land use, land use change and forestry sector (land sector) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have shown large fluctuations but generally the trend has been a reduction in emissions since the mid-2000s. Queensland land sector GHG emissions decreased from 91.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 1990 to 59.9 million tonnes in 2005 and then fell sharply to a low of 18.2 million tonnes in 2011. Land sector emissions have started to increase again over the past 3 years.
The land sector includes afforestation and reforestation (growing forests which reduces emissions), deforestation (vegetation clearing which increases emissions), and management of forests, grazing land and croplands.
Vegetation clearing (deforestation and clearing on grazing land) is the main source of land sector GHG emissions. Drivers of tree clearing vary widely and include agricultural purposes and responses to changes in government regulation.
Afforestation, reforestation and the management of forests and croplands can act as a carbon 'sink' (i.e. where carbon is stored in soil, plants or trees rather than released into the air). Queensland is the largest source of this type of emission in Australia and compared to other Australian jurisdictions, Queensland is a net source of land sector emissions rather than a net ‘sink’.
More information:
Indicator: Greenhouse gas emissions, in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 – e), of land use, land use change and forestry sector
Queensland annual greenhouse gas emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent from 1990-2014 by land use, land use change and forestry sectors. Total land use, land use change and forestry sector greenhouse gas emissions in millions of tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent comparing states for 2014.