Land use, land use change and forestry sector greenhouse gas emissions
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Key finding
While emissions from the land sector decreased 80% between 2005 and 2016, 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 with a general lowering trend in emissions since the mid-2000s.
Queensland land sector GHG emissions decreased from 97.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 1990 to 12 MtCO2e in 2016. The general downward trend was punctuated with increases in 1999, 2001 and 2005.
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 emissions from the land use sector in Australia. Compared to most other Australian jurisdictions, Queensland is a net source of land sector emissions rather than a net positive ‘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 1990–2016 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 2016.
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