The Woodland Carbon Code has become the first government‑run carbon standard in the world to enter full assessment by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
The Code sets out requirements for creating new woodlands that generate high integrity carbon credits which organisations can use to compensate for their unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions. It is delivered by Scottish Forestry on behalf of the four governments of the UK.
The Integrity Council is an independent, non-profit, governance body that sets and maintains the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs). These Principles act as a global threshold for high integrity, transparent and impactful carbon standards, providing confidence for buyers, investors and landowners.
The Woodland Carbon Code has completed the first step of the Integrity Council’s process. The ‘completeness check’ confirms that its application has enough evidence and detail to allow the Integrity Council to assess whether it adheres to the Core Carbon Principles Assessment Framework.
The standards applied by the Integrity Council aim to support rural businesses and communities by prioritising local engagement and benefit-sharing, channelling additional finance to local land managers. They also require robust legal mechanisms to ensure permanence and clear ownership of carbon credits.
The Woodland Carbon Code has been shaped by extensive stakeholder engagement and consultation. A key aim is to support integration of farming and forestry, bringing benefits for farm businesses, including new revenue opportunities, shelter for livestock and improved amenity. Recent revisions have increased accessibility for smaller landholdings, including crofts.
If it is found to meet the requirements of the Core Carbon Principles Assessment Framework, the Code will become one of only a few organisations worldwide to achieve accreditation. At the time of publication, there are nine other CCP-Eligible carbon crediting programmes.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon, said: “This is a significant milestone for the Woodland Carbon Code and its role in setting a world-leading standard for integrity in woodland carbon markets.
“The Woodland Carbon Code team has worked in partnership with many experts and operators across the forestry sector to shape the direction and content of the Code. The result is a robust standard that supports nature, strengthens climate action and builds a greener future for all. In Scotland alone, it has helped to create over 36,500 hectares of new woodland.”
Since it was established in 2011, the Woodland Carbon Code has helped to create 43,000 hectares of new woodland across the UK, mostly small and mixed woodlands. These projects are predicted to sequester over 14.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over their lifetime.
Dr Pat Snowdon, Head of Economics and Woodland Carbon Code at Scottish Forestry, added: “This is a really important step for the Woodland Carbon Code and a clear recognition of our commitment to integrity, transparency and science-led standards. We are excited to progress to full assessment and to strengthen the UK’s leadership in high integrity nature markets.”
The Integrity Council will assess the Woodland Carbon Code over the next year.