First WCC group validation

Forest Carbon gains first ever Woodland Carbon Code validation for a group scheme.

Since late 2012 Forest Carbon has been working with the Forestry Commission and its Woodland Carbon Code auditors SFQC on trialling the audit of a group of new woodlands as one project, and this week we our trial group became the first to be validated under the Code. Validating groups of woodlands in this way will be vital in creating the conditions for smaller woodlands to gain accreditation - woodlands where the fixed costs of audit and Code compliance would easily outstrip the value of any carbon credit sales if they were to stand alone.

Forest Carbon's first group scheme was put together in partnership with Buccleuch Estates, who own the land where all the woodlands are planted. The group includes woodland at 11 separate locations, covering 247 hectares in total and comprising the planting of over 387,000 trees. Over their lifetimes the woods will capture in excess 74,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. The carbon credits at these projects have been purchased by, amongst others, Marks & Spencer, Stagecoach, The Green Insurance Company, Valassis and Compass Group.