#UK Woodland Carbon
Nature-based climate action, restored ecosystems, and resilient rural landscapes
#The project
Across the UK, many landscapes have changed significantly over time. Native woodland is relatively scarce compared to the rest of Europe, and many forests are fragmented and therefore offer limited shelter for wildlife. This affects biodiversity, water quality, and the ability of landscapes to cope with flooding. This also impacts the livelihoods and natural resources that rural communities rely on.
Woodland creation projects address these challenges by establishing new forests and enhancing the condition of existing woodlands. Trees absorb and store carbon as they grow, helping to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
In doing so, these projects deliver long-term climate benefits as well as a wide range of co-benefits, from habitat creation to improved hydrology.
Our Partner Forest Carbon works with businesses and landholders to finance these UK woodland projects under the Woodland Carbon Code, a robust UK carbon standard. Since 2006, Forest Carbon has helped fund the planting of over 13 million trees. Their projects expected to sequester around 3.3 million tons of CO2 over their lifetimes.
#Woodland degradation in the UK
The UK has among the lowest woodland cover in Europe, and many existing woodlands are fragmented or offer limited habitat diversity. These degraded or suboptimal woodlands are less able to provide ecosystem services: they store less carbon, support fewer species, and are less effective at regulating water flows and reducing flood risk downstream.
Healthy woodlands could support new economic opportunities, recreation, and nature-based businesses in rural areas, but this potential often remains underused.
By funding new woodlands under the Woodland Carbon Code, landholders can reverse this trend. Trees planted today will sequester carbon over decades and enhance soil carbon stocks, while improving habitat connectivity and landscape resilience.
#How UK woodland projects contribute to climate action
#Woodland creation
New forests capture CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in biomass and soils. Under the Woodland Carbon Code, this sequestration is modelled and monitored over typical project lifetimes of 30–100 years, with robust rules to account for risks and ensure a lasting climate benefit.
Beyond carbon, these projects support:
Biodiversity: by creating and enhancing habitat for a range of woodland species.
Water and flood management: by improving water storage and slowing overland flow, helping reduce flood risk and improve downstream water quality.
Landscape and community resilience: by enhancing natural capital and opening opportunities for recreation, education, and nature-based enterprises.
All projects must follow the strict requirements of the Woodland Carbon Code, including additionality and permanence, and are recorded in the UK Land Carbon Registry to ensure transparency and avoid double counting.
#Our partner: Forest Carbon
The woodland projects are developed in partnership with Forest Carbon, a long-established UK project developer and intermediary between landholders and businesses seeking to support domestic nature-based climate action. Founded in 2006 and employee-owned since 2023, Forest Carbon works across the UK to design and deliver projects that meet the requirements of the Woodland Carbon Code.
#Forest Carbon’s role includes:
Working with landholders to identify suitable sites for woodland creation and designing projects that align with land management objectives as well as Code requirements.
Facilitating the certification process, including project registration, preparation of documentation for validation, and coordination of monitoring and verification under the Woodland Carbon Code.
Connecting projects with finance, by enabling businesses to invest in UK nature-based projects and acquire future or verified carbon benefits in the form of units recorded in the UK Land Carbon Registry.
Emphasizing co-benefits, ensuring that projects contribute not only to carbon sequestration, but also to biodiversity, water management, and societal benefits such as public access and education.
Through this approach, Forest Carbon helps ensure that UK woodland carbon projects are scientifically robust, transparently certified, and genuinely beneficial for both climate and communities.