The Woodland Carbon Code is the UK standard for afforestation projects for climate change mitigation.[1] It provides independent validation and verification and assurance about the levels of carbon sequestration from woodland creation projects and their contribution to climate change mitigation.
The Code, which sets out project design and management requirements, was established in 2011 to promote best practice procedures for organisations wanting to create woodland to mitigate their carbon emissions. Compliance with the code means that woodland carbon projects are responsibly and sustainably managed to national standards; will have reliable estimates for the amount of carbon that will be sequestered or locked up as a result of the tree planting; be publicly registered and independently verified; and meet transparent criteria and standards to ensure that real carbon benefits are delivered.
Every Woodland Carbon Code project appears on the UK Register of Woodland Carbon Projects; registry services are provided by Markit. All project developers and carbon buyers will have an account on the registry, which also contains project information and documentation, as well as the facility to list, track ownership and retire carbon units. Projects and their documentation are validated at the outset by a third party accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS).[2] An ongoing monitoring programme for the woodland will have also been agreed at the time of validation and projects will be verified by an accredited third party at regular intervals.
Woodland Carbon Code projects generate Woodland Carbon Units, which once verified can be used by UK businesses to help compensate for their gross emissions.