The Woodland Carbon Code

The Forestry Commission, assisted by an advisory group of experts from across the sector is developing the Woodland Carbon Code. It aims to support a move to a low carbon economy through encouraging investment in the establishment of woodlands in the UK for climate change mitigation. It sets out robust requirements for voluntary carbon sequestration projects that incorporate core principles of good carbon management as part of modern sustainable forest management.

Specific objectives of the Code include:

* ensuring high standards of forest management are maintained in line with the UK Forestry Standard;
* setting out requirements of good practice in terms of both carbon and sustainable forest management;
* providing access to forest carbon measurement protocols that enable consistent and rigorous measurement of carbon uptake in woodlands;
* establishing a system of independent quality assurance through the introduction of procedures for registering, validating and verifying woodland carbon projects.

A pilot phase will be conducted between August 2010 and March 2011, where there will be a trial of the code and the registration, validation and verification process on a selection of woodland creation projects.

The Code is planned to be extended to all by April 2011.

More details can be found on the Forestry Commission web site.