The Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) is a voluntary standard for woodland carbon sequestration projects in the UK. It was developed over three years by the Forestry Commission to provide clarity, consistency, and transparency for carbon projects and reassure investors. The WCC framework includes requirements for measuring baseline emissions, leakage, and project carbon sequestration from tree biomass, soil, and management effects. Projects must be certified against the WCC by an accredited certification body and undergo validation when starting and verification every five years. To date, 39 projects have registered under the WCC, which are projected to sequester over 750,000 tonnes of CO2e over 100 years through creating over 2,200

1. Woodland Carbon Code
Requirements for voluntary carbon sequestration schemes
Chris Waterfield - Forestry Commission

2. Development
• Developed over last 3 years – FC lead
• Piloted early 2011 both projects and
certification bodies
• Launched July 2011
• FC leading development with a Carbon
Advisory Group
• Science input from FR and wider
• However it is still developing
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

3. Why have a Woodland Carbon Code?
•Increasing interest in using
woodlands to capture carbon
•There was no uniform
standard, consistency or
clarity in UK carbon projects
•Some potential investors
were cautious
•Woodland creation is cost-
effective climate change
mitigation
•The UK government wishes
to encourage private funding
of woodland creation.
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

4. It’s not just about carbon….
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

5. What might the WCC do?
Offer clarity
Encourage a and
consistent transparency to Provide rigorous
approach to customers carbon
woodland carbon measurement
projects protocols
Construct a
Reassure the framework that
market and may support a
investors about compliance market
for woodland
voluntary carbon credits in
woodland carbon the future
projects
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

6. How it fits in
• All UK woodland creation reported in the UK’s
GHG emissions inventory (as per Kyoto)
• UK govt doesn’t allow Kyoto ‘offsets’ in the UK
• DEFRA GHG reporting guidelines
now allow companies to report
carbon sequestration in the UK
• Code doesn’t create carbon ‘offsets’
that can be traded in EU ETS or used
in Carbon Reduction Commitment.
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

7. The Code - Scope
Includes:
• Woodland creation
• Carbon sequestration and emissions
within a woodland
Doesn’t include:
• Changes to management of existing
woodlands
• Carbon stored in forest products
• Substitution effects (wood products or
fuel)
• Avoided emissions from previous
landuse
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

8. What to count?
Baseline – Changes to carbon within project boundary
in the absence of the project
Leakage – Ongoing emissions outside project
boundary as result of project
Project Carbon Sequestration – Changes to carbon
within project boundary as a result of the project
Includes Sequestration/emission from:
Tree Biomass, Non-tree biomass, Soil, Management
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

9. Applying
• Employ an agent/carbon company?
• Design your project
• Register your project
• Get certified (Project Validated at outset)
• Stay certified (Project Verified every 5 years)
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

10. Certification
• 2 certification bodies SFQC, SGS will be
accredited to assess projects
• Accredited by UK Accreditation Service
• Projects validated at outset
• Projects verified at 5-yearly intervals
• Project has unique ID and current status
appears in Registry.
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

11. Progress to date
Detailed best
practice
requirements &
guidance developed
Pilot programme
completed
Code launched in
July 2011
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

12. Progress to date:
• 39 Projects registered
• Hope to create > 2,200ha new woodland which over
next 100 years will sequester >750,000 tCO2e
• Of the 39 …..
• 3 projects validated
• Will create > 300ha new woodland which over next
100 years will sequester > 115,000 tCO2e
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

13. Future Developments
• Group scheme for certification: Pilot 2012
• Further developments to carbon measurement tools
• More interactive model + carbon lookup tables
• More work on soil carbon
• Further work to clarify permanence
• Legal aspects
• Carbon reporting & Market development
• Developing a register of carbon units (tCo2e) - Markit?
• Economic Appraisal Model
• Looking at novel models for encouraging investment
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode

14. E: climatechange@forestry.gov.uk
W: www.forestry.gov.uk/carboncode
forestry.gov.uk/carboncode