In their recently released climate strategy, the Government signalled their support of Nature-based Solutions (NbS). While the Government is keen to see the private sector design and implement Nature-based solutions, ultimately we need the Government to act as a key enabling and implementing partner to deliver a programme like Recloaking Papatūānuku at the scale and with the urgency needed.
Here are ten key asks from Government that would support Recloaking Paptūānuku:
1. Fast-tracking a high-integrity, internationally reputable ecosystem restoration / nature-positive incentives scheme for landowners.
2. If forestry remains in the Emissions Trading Scheme, exploring the opportunity to qualitatively differentiate forestry credits so as to better reward indigenous forests (and their co-benefits).
3. Driving investor confidence in a robust high-integrity, internationally-aligned domestic Voluntary Carbon Market.
4. Properly recognising our Nationally Determined Contributions on the Crown accounts.
5. Making Recloaking Papatūānuku part of our Global Biodiversity Framework commitments at October’s Convention on Biological Diversity COP.
6. Properly recognising and funding the critical role of the Department of Conservation and Predator Free 2050 in landscape restoration, particularly through the significantly scaling up of animal pest and weed interventions across the conservation and Crown pastoral estate.
7. Enabling Crown Pastoral leaseholders to register indigenous afforestation and restoration efforts in the Emissions Trading Scheme (through legislative amendments).
8. Outlining the role Government sees the private sector performing to support landscape-scale ecological restoration and how it will facilitate nature-positive investments, including by leading the international implementation of Nature-Related Financial Disclosure requirements.
9. Recognising, incentivising, and supporting enhanced measurement techniques in relation to the sequestration effects of pest eradication and other restoration interventions, including additional sequestration gains in pre-1990 forests.
10. An unequivocal, public statement by the Government in support of Recloaking Papaptūānuku for all of its benefits and a commitment to further exploring its implementation as a means to amplify and galvanise collective action.
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