Permanence refers to ensuring that carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere remains stored and is not later released.
Woodland projects carry a risk of carbon loss, so safeguards are needed minimise this risk and ensure that any reversal is addressed through replacement or compensatory planting and carbon units. See 2.3 management of risks and permanence.
Woodland Carbon Code projects are protected by legislation that guards against deforestation or the removal of trees in a woodland.
Across the UK, Environmental Impact Assessment legislation requires an Environmental Impact Assessment for deforestation above half a hectare in sensitive areas and one hectare outside sensitive areas. All woodland carbon code projects have to be at least one hectare (see 1.7 Project size and grouping).
Across the UK, forestry legislation prevents the felling of trees without the permission of the relevant forestry authority, through a felling licence.
While woodlands sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they can also release it due to natural events (like pests, disease, extreme weather or fire) or through management (such as felling without replanting). Project managers must make every effort to ensure the claimed carbon store remains in the woodland for the duration of the project and beyond. This includes:
The Woodland Carbon Code also retains 20% of Woodland Carbon Units from each project in a buffer. This protects the integrity of verified units and guarantees that units sold are a permanent emissions reduction.
Each project contributes 20% of their verified units to the buffer at each verification. If a project confirms a reversal (a reduction in carbon stock between one verification and the next), then units from the buffer will be cancelled to make up for this. Project developers may need to repay what they have borrowed from the buffer, depending on the nature of the loss.