The Basic Concept of the Woodland Carbon Code

Trees absorb carbon dioxide. The Woodland Carbon Code harnesses this ability to enable companies to offset their carbon dioxide emissions. By paying for these woodland-generated offsets, the Code simultaneously encourages companies to reduce their emissions and landowners to plant more trees.

The Code’s carbon calculator forecasts the volume of carbon dioxide which an area of woodland will absorb (or “sequester”), assuming that woodland is planted and managed properly (a point which is checked by third party auditors). The Code’s rules outline what is needed to ensure that the calculator’s forecasts are realised.

The Code’s assessment of sequestered carbon dioxide in any woodland, of any size and species, is pivotal to its operation. It means companies can plan a path towards carbon neutrality and it helps landowners allocate more land towards woodland.

How Does the Woodland Carbon Code Work?

Once the calculator has forecast the woodland’s CO₂ storage capacity, a series of checks, audits and inspections are necessary to commute this prediction into certified, exchangeable units.

Carbon funding must be critical to the project’s development and evidence proving this must be submitted. This renders any restocking activity inadmissible as it legally required.

A 28-page Project Design Document must also be completed, providing maps and details of the planting site, the long-term management plan and the project’s duration. Details from soil surveys and Environmental Impact Assessments must also be provided.

CarbonStore can help you every step of the way towards verifying your Woodland Carbon Units, registering your scheme, calculating its carbon storage capacity and completing the Project Design Document.

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