Carbon Positive has secured 266,000 hectares of land in China for
reforestation and biofuel crops in Honghe state, Yunnan province, and
planting has already begun at the sites.
More than 6,660
hectares of native timber species will be in the ground by the end of
February 2007. 2,000 hectares of Jatropha, used for making bio-diesel,
have also already been planted. Plans for larger scale planting in 2007
are under development, and the project will be submitted for approval
under Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (
CDM).
Research
and development is the focus of 2006 and 2007 plantings. Many areas
will be addressed, including the suitability of crops for biodiesel
production, optimising timber and crop outputs, and maximising carbon
credit flows under the CDM.
Carbon Positive is working with
Chinese and international partners in the venture. The partnerships
bring together experience and relationships in China with Carbon
Positive’s ability to manage large-scale agro-forestry projects.
“The
venture is very well placed, as Yunnan province offers high growth
conditions while China itself has enormous and growing demand for
timber and bio-energy,” said Jon Anwyl, chief executive of Carbon
Positive.
More than half of China’s demand for timber is
currently met by imports from countries that lack sound forest
management controls. According to WWF China’s wood market, trade and
environment 2003 report, China is one of the major destinations for
wood that may be illegally harvested or traded.
A native
species to China, Nepalese alder, has been chosen for initial planting
for its extremely good environmental benefits, local commercial value
and short rotation period. Other high-value, short-rotation species
will be added in 2007. Production from the Jatropha trees will
contribute to China’s current five-year plan to lift the production of
biofuel as a substitute for coal.