Recent changes to Australia’s sustainability and climate reporting are the latest developments in recognising the forestry sector’s major contribution to addressing climate change. That’s why Forestry Australia is organising the 2026 Forest Valuation Summit: Valuing and Reporting Sustainability in our Forests, looking at major opportunities for “nature positive” assets – like forestry – to capitalise on the push to embrace carbon in asset management.
“Australia’s forestry sector makes a major contribution to the rural economy and is among the best-managed globally across economic, environmental, and social criteria. Australia’s forestry professionals can be proud of their long history of good stewardship of our forests,” according to Keith Lamb, the summit convenor, who said the launch of the first Joint Australia–New Zealand Forest Valuation Standard will be amongst several highlights from the summit.
Developed by Forestry Australia and the New Zealand Institute of Forestry, with support from Forest and Wood Products Australia, the new Standard is an essential update to long-established standards in New Zealand (first developed in 1999) and Australia (in 2010), with its release just in time for Australia’s new climate and sustainability reporting rules – AASB S1 and AASB S2: “This conversion, this summit and this standard come at such a critical time for forestry,” Lamb said.
Running from Monday, March 30 to Tuesday, March 31, the Summit brings valuers, investors, managers, and policy specialists together under one roof at Melbourne’s Rendezvous Hotel, where experts will discuss the changes affecting valuations, both now and into the future.
Weeks out from the summit, Lamb has provided Wood Central with a deep dive into the program, including how land values are shifting, what good valuation practice now requires, and how the new climate reporting regime will affect forest owners and managers. At the same time, he said, attendees will also hear updates on the draft Carbon Standard, the growing role of natural capital in financial statements and the broader future of forest valuation as forests take on expanded roles in climate and biodiversity markets.
Meet the keynote speakers
Lamb said Forestry Australia is putting together an all-star lineup of speakers, including the latest round announced earlier this week. Alexandra White, a mergers and acquisitions partner at Deloitte and a specialist in critical minerals, will appear alongside Michael Barbara, the Executive Director of Campbell Global at J.P. Morgan and one of the region’s most experienced forest asset specialists, and Brian McGlynn, Principal at Malpine and a long-serving director across multiple plantation companies. Also confirmed for the summit is Shakr Rahman, Manager of Plantings and Plantations at the Clean Energy Regulator and a recognised authority on carbon markets.
- To learn more about the summit, including the current program and speaker list, click here for more information.
