To avoid the worst effects of climate change, we must take action. When we do take action, we must do everything in our power to ensure its impact is meaningful and lasting.
When Forest Carbon was founded in 2006, there were no quality assurance standards in place that facilitated the generation of carbon credits from UK nature-based projects. As a result, Forest Carbon pioneered the idea of carbon-financed woodland creation in the UK, building on best practices from elsewhere and striving to make a market for woodland carbon.
Working in coalition with other organisations, including the Confederation of Forest Industries (CONFOR), Forest Carbon helped to make the case for a woodland carbon standard to the UK Forestry Commission. The government agency was persuaded by the idea and, in 2011, the Woodland Carbon Code was born. The Code is delivered by Scottish Forestry on behalf of the Forestry Commission, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Forest Service. It is internationally recognised for high standards of sustainable forest and carbon management and endorsed by ICROA, the umbrella body for carbon reduction and offset providers in the voluntary market.
It was a similar process with the Peatland Code, which was launched in 2015. Forest Carbon contributed to the research and implementation of the standard alongside a consortium of organisations, and this work was funded in part by DEFRA. The Peatland Code is managed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Read more about our involvement with the development of the Codes on Our Story.
Any project we sell carbon credits from in the UK is certified under these two standards. However, we are keeping a close eye on developing carbon standards that could help unlock a range of other nature-based project types such as agroforestry, hedgerows, soils, and salt marshes.
