Developing a standard buyer-seller contract

The project 

We're developing a simple buyer-seller contract for Pending Issuance Units and Woodland/Peatland Carbon Units. The project is being supported by NatureScot in collaboration with the Scottish Government and in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

 The project aims to support smaller-scale and community participants in carbon markets. It also hopes to support the market by:

• Making the process of contracting easier 
• Reducing transaction costs
• Increasing the integrity of codes/standards and confidence in their use

We hope a standard contract will help landowners, tenants, community groups and buyers to participate in nature markets with greater confidence. 

The scope 

The contract will consider different types of project and landownership, stacking, bundling and community benefit.

We aim to provide a contract which: 

• Is available to everyone 
• Achieves a fair approach to managing risk and liability for buyers and sellers of carbon units 
• Caters for a range of land ownerships and occupations 
• Addresses requirements for permanence
• Ensures compliance with the Woodland Carbon Code, Peatland Code and future legislative and regulatory changes which may impact the codes and sector 

We will also provide guidance on how to use the contract.

The project will focus on the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code. We also hope the work can be applied to other nature markets.

Project plan and timescale

We’ll be working throughout 2024 and will take a phased approach. We are aiming for the first contract to be ready for use in spring 2025. 

We will invite the views and experience of a range of landowners, developers and carbon credit buyers. We will begin engagement in February 2024.

Further information and getting involved 

We’ll provide more information on this website and in the Woodland Carbon Code newsletter as the project develops.  

You can also email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Nature Market Contracts Project Manager, to find out more. 

Partners: 

Funders: 

This project is supported by NatureScot in collaboration with the Scottish Government and in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, through the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland. 

                                                                                         Thanks to the National Lottery players