Last updated: 08/2024
The carbon stored in UK woodlands
Around the world, forests act as natural carbon sinks by drawing down CO2, storing carbon in their biomass, and releasing oxygen. While human actions and climate change threaten to turn forests around the world into carbon sources rather than sinks, a healthy woodland will capture carbon as it grows.
When a new woodland is created here in the UK, it’s a permanent land use change. Landowners and their successors in title comply, conform and commit to governance and legislation, such as the Forestry Act 1967 (for felling regulation) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA).
Whether the woodland will sit undisturbed for hundreds of years or is managed to produce sustainable timber in the coming decades, the area will remain forested in the long term. This means that any new woodland creation scheme in the UK will be a permanent, and valuable, carbon store.
In assessing viability, we ensure any new projects adhere to the Code’s ‘Additionality’ criteria (financial and legal tests).
When taking a project through validation, Forest Carbon uses scientifically developed models set out by Forest Research and the Woodland Carbon Code to assess how much carbon will be drawn down as a result of new planting. When estimating the sequestered carbon of a project, an initial 20% conservative figure is subtracted from the total volume of credits to address any data inaccuracies. In addition to this, the project is then subject to a further 20% subtraction, with those credits going into a 'buffer pool' system managed by the WCC. Find out more about the WCC's buffer here.
Whilst risk management tools and governance are in place to ensure the success of these projects, it must be recognised that all nature-based solutions face risk.
Beyond carbon
While a tree planted today may need a decade or two to start sequestering significant amounts of carbon, some benefits are delivered almost immediately. For example, within a few years of fencing and planting many projects see improvements in biodiversity and wildlife habitats. Our new woodlands also often link existing habitats, support vulnerable species, and provide a whole range of ecosystem services.
In addition, growing woodlands can help to mitigate flooding after heavy rain events – a crucial component of the UK’s adaptation to climate change. We have seen unprecedented flooding in recent years, as the frequency of intense rain events increases. Planting along rivers and watercourses can reduce the risk of flooding, as the presence of trees and their root systems increase the capacity of the soil to soak up rainwater, and their canopies intercept rainwater as it falls. This contributes to slowing and reducing the amount of water that reaches our rivers. Root systems also bind the soil, preventing erosion and reducing the amount of silt that reaches watercourses downstream.
Planting trees can also improve water habitats by providing shade, lowering water temperature, and reducing the amount of agricultural pollution that reaches the watercourse. Woodlands capture carbon, yes, but they also have a role to play in our adaptation to the effects of climate change.
Beyond these environmental benefits, woodland creation also contributes to the economy, with around 40,000 jobs in the UK related to forestry – a number that should rise as the UK and devolved governments push harder to reach ambitious tree-planting targets in the coming years.
While there is no silver bullet solution to climate change, and tree planting must be carried out in a way that recognizes the need to plant the right tree in the right place, woodland creation is a solution that can help the UK meet its climate change targets, increase biodiversity, reduce the risk and intensity of flooding, support local economies, and provide spaces for recreation and amenity.
Next up, learn all about degraded peatlands and their restoration.
