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Our impact
Impact for us isn’t an abstract word. It’s woodlands planted and peatlands restored. It’s carbon captured, wildlife supported, and landscapes made more resilient. Below, you’ll find the results of our collaboration with land managers, businesses, and partners over the past two decades, which show just what’s possible when you work together.
(Thus far) unquantified co-benefits
The biggest impacts of our projects often happen in the spaces we don’t yet measure. Smart people are working on new ways to track things like biodiversity, and we look forward to using those tools as they develop. For now, here are some of the benefits healthy woodlands and peatlands bring that can’t easily be captured in numbers:
Biodiversity uplift
Our projects are developed to increase the amount and variety of flora and fauna species in the area.
Improved water quality
By absorbing/filtering water, our projects improve water quality in the surrounding and downstream areas.
Green space access
Many of our projects are accessible to the public, creating space for people to enjoy and experience nature.
Community involvement
Many of our projects involve the surrounding community, ensuring they share in the benefits, including jobs and skills creation.
Habitat corridors
Our projects often link habitats previously separated by productive land or land less hospitable to wildlife.
Flood mitigation
By intercepting/ slowing/ absorbing surface and groundwater, our projects help to prevent soil erosion, which helps to mitigate against flooding.
Sustainable timber
Some of our woodlands supply sustainable timber to the local economy.
Animal shelter
Woodlands provide animals like deer, sheep, and cattle with protection from harsh weather.
Diversified income
Project hosts, often farmers, benefit from diversified portfolios through carbon finance, limiting their risk and making them more resilient.
Tree species planted
We’ve tracked tree species across our UK projects since the start. Planting is only part of the job; what matters is the right species, in the right places, with diversity in mind. Below are our seven most common species, plus ‘Other’ (e.g. Wych Elm and Yew). Last updated December 2025.
Birch
3,363,285
24%
Alder
661,703
5%
Sitka Spruce
3,307,976
23%
Scots Pine
1,875,205
13%
Oak
1,432,663
10%
Other
2,634,948
18%
Willow
448,627
3%
Rowan
568,760
4%
Some of the recognition our team has received recently includes:
Awards & boards
Over the years, we’ve backed a range of initiatives and organisations to help drive nature restoration across the UK. And when we’ve managed to put ourselves forward, some of that work has been recognised too. Here are a few highlights.
WCC Advisors
Forest Carbon has long contributed to the development of the Woodland Carbon Code. Steve sat on the Technical Committee during its development (2009–2011) and later served on the Advisory Board from 2012 to 2021, with George continuing in that role until 2023.
Tweed Forum Leadership
James was a director of Tweed Forum between 2010 and 2015, and then Chairman until 2020. Eck was appointed as a Trustee in September 2025.
Defra-funded report
In 2015, Steve co-authored the financial chapter of a Defra-funded report that built the business case for the Peatland Code, working alongside former government economist Andrew Moxey.
PC Technical Advisory Board
The Technical Advisory Board provides technical oversight and recommendations to the Peatland Code Executive Board. Steve sat on it from 2016 to 2018, and then George until 2020.
CCC Land Use Advisory Group
James advised the UK Climate Change Committee on land use for its 2020 report ‘Land use: Policies for a Net Zero UK’.
Duich Moss
On the windswept Isle of Islay, Scotland, Duich Moss is a richly biodiverse, low-domed bog and internationally protected wetland. This ambitious peatland restoration project will rewet and repair a landscape once threatened by industrial peat extraction, helping to safeguard rare species and lock in thousands of tonnes of carbon.
Cùl Mòr
In the heart of the Scottish Highlands, the Cùl Mòr restoration project is helping to bring a landscape back to life. Restoring degraded peatland supports climate action, protects biodiversity, and strengthens a globally and nationally important ecosystem.
Bwlch y Groes
In Wales, along the border of Snowdonia National Park, a degraded stretch of upland bog is being brought back to life. The Bwlch y Groes project restored damaged peatland, helping to lock in carbon, restore biodiversity, and safeguard water quality in one of the country’s most ecologically important upland areas.
We are deeply proud of our co-founder, James Hepburne Scott (1947 - 2025), who was awarded an OBE for services to forestry and the environment in Scotland in 2023.
James was instrumental in shaping the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code, and played a central role in enabling millions of trees to be planted and peatlands to be restored across the UK. He led with vision, generosity, and a determination to simply get on with it.
Very sadly, James passed away in August 2025. We miss him dearly. His legacy lives on in Forest Carbon, in the markets he helped create, and in the landscapes he worked so hard to protect. His favourite tree was the Caledonian Scots Pine.
