UK Forest Creation, Woodland Carbon Code

Woodlands once covered the landscape across the UK, yet today the country is one of the least forested in Europe.

The Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) is the only voluntary standard of its kind, meeting the UK Government’s Forest Standard. This portfolio of carefully selected WCC forest creation projects are vetted by our team of voluntary carbon market veterans to construct a pool of high-quality UK projects. 

After a project is registered with the WCC, it undergoes validation by a third party accredited by the UK Accreditation Service. Pending Issuance Units are created as part of this validation process, based on estimated tree growth and carbon removals. These are automatically converted into Woodland Carbon Units once the trees have grown and delivered the carbon removals. Pending Issuance Units do not represent guaranteed reductions and cannot be used to report against UK-based emissions until verified and converted to Woodland Carbon Units. 

UK forest creation projects are co-funded with Forestry Commission grant aid which is insufficient to incentivise landowners to plant - hence the need for additional carbon funding to make the projects happen. The Forestry Commission guarantees a standard minimum level quality in the areas of woodland management and environmental impact assessment, plus an inspection regime after planting and once the forest is five years old, ensuring a legacy of social and biodiversity benefits.

In addition to delivering emissions removals to take climate action (SDG 13), the project delivers additional benefits:

• Clean Water and Sanitation: These projects can improve drinking water quality in the UK.
• Life Below Water: Forests prevent erosion and defend against runoff into streams and rivers.
• Life on Land: Forests provide habitat for biodiversity, restore degraded landscapes, and protect the UK’s natural heritage.