KEY FACTS
Without harvesting a single extra tree Australias forest industries have the capacity to supply 30% of the national renewable energy target. This is equivalent to the generation of electricity for 400,000 homes each year, with the greenhouse benefit of taking 200,000 cars off the road.

Research by CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research) indicates that wood waste is one of the most cost-effective and greenhouse efficient sources of renewable energy.
A report by ABARE (the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics) concludes that without using wood waste
Australias renewable energy targets cannot be met
RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM WOOD
Nationally, we utilise just 2% of the existing forest residues for renewable electricity production.
Our existing wood waste has the capacity to produce 30% of the 9,500 GWh of electricity sought under the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (MRET)
The failure to use these biomass residues is poor policy on both environmental and economic grounds. Sustainability means getting the most out of resource materials and always preferring renewable resources (such as wood) to non-renewable ones (such as fossil fuels).
Energy generation on this scale could also:
create over 2,300 new jobs;
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 2.2 million tonnes of CO2 annually; and
attract $800 million of direct investment in renewable energy facilities.
NAFI has made submission to the Australian Parliament?s inquiry into the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Bill 2002. NAFI identified that parts of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 are actually working as impediments to full utilisation of existing wood waste to produce renewable energy. To ensure the greatest return to the Australian community from the management of our native forest resources, the impediments to investment need to be removed as soon as possible.
Wood waste from trees is a source of renewable energy. Australia?s forest and wood industries currently generates seven million tonnes of wood waste residue that could be used for energy generation. This is all existing, but currently unused, material.