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Planting woodlands, storing carbon, restoring UK nature
For nearly two decades, we’ve worked with businesses and land managers to grow tree cover across the UK, using the carbon market to channel vital private sector funding into woodland creation. On this page, you’ll find answers to common questions about woodlands, carbon credits, and how planting trees helps to tackle climate change, restore nature, and provide many other benefits.
Most people know trees capture carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their biomass. But they do much more. Woodlands can provide vital habitat for wildlife, stabilise soils, reduce flooding, purify the air, and enrich our landscapes. They are essential for climate, nature, and humankind.
Yet in the UK, we are well below the tree-planting levels needed to meet legally binding net-zero targets. Globally, we risk pushing forests beyond their tipping point, turning them from carbon sinks into carbon sources, and accelerating the climate crisis.
The takeaway is simple: we need more thriving, healthy woodlands. This is where carbon markets play a crucial role. Since the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, emissions trading has helped direct private finance into climate solutions like tree planting. From 2007 to 2021, Forest Carbon helped build the UK’s voluntary carbon market, bringing in early investors and shaping trusted standards like the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code.
Carbon markets have not been without challenges, and scrutiny has helped improve their integrity. But they remain one of the strongest tools we have to fund meaningful nature restoration. With high standards in place in the UK, we are proud to continue using them to deliver lasting woodland impact.
Read on to learn more about our work and get answers to your woodland questions.
30%
Forest Carbon has played a role in delivering nearly 30% of all Woodland Carbon Code projects since its inception.
What we've helped to achieve with UK woodlands
Rottal 2
South of the Cairngorms, Rottal 2 expands woodland along the South Esk to improve water quality, reduce flood risks, and enhance wildlife habitats. A mix of conifers and native broadleaf species will support biodiversity, strengthen the landscape’s resilience and help the UK progress its climate targets.
Lowther 2
Lowther 2 is an ambitious woodland creation project on the edge of the Lake District National Park. Blending productive conifers with native broadleaves, the woodland has been designed not only to sequester carbon but to support local biodiversity, connect habitats, and continue Lowther Estate’s proud legacy of responsible forestry.
Camusluinie
This new native woodland in Scotland connects with earlier planting to expand habitat networks, boost biodiversity, and support carbon capture, all while enhancing the natural landscape for people and wildlife alike.
Wester Coshieville
Wester Coshieville is home to a growing upland oak woodland that strengthens Scotland’s fragmented native tree cover. Planted in 2019, this project is not only helping to capture carbon but is also enhancing biodiversity, connecting habitats, and supporting a more resilient landscape.
Tom's Wood
Tom’s Wood is a native woodland in England, created to tackle climate change, support wildlife, and bring long-term ecological value to previously farmed land.
Talla & Gameshope 2
Located in the heart of the Scottish Borders, the Talla & Gameshope 2 project is a vital step in the ecological restoration of this landscape. It is part of the ongoing efforts by the Borders Forest Trust to regenerate the land, enhance biodiversity, connect habitats, and sequester carbon.
Swinside Mill
In the Scottish Borders, the 14-hectare Swinside Mill project blends native tree planting, riparian restoration, and sustainable forestry to boost biodiversity, improve water quality, and strengthen ecosystems in one of Scotland’s most deforested regions.
Milton of Mathers
In northeast Scotland, two coastal valleys were planted with native woodland to boost biodiversity, stabilise riverbanks and sequester carbon. In 2011, this new woodland became the first to be validated (then verified) under the Woodland Carbon Code. Today, it continues to deliver long-term benefits for nature, water and climate.
Lynbreck Croft
Located in the heart of Scotland’s Cairngorms, Lynbreck Croft is undertaking transformative landscape restoration. The new owners have committed to reviving a degraded hillside through planting a native woodland, creating a vital wildlife corridor between two disconnected habitats.
Corriechuillie 1 & 2
On the edge of the Cairngorm mountains in Scotland, the Corriechuillie project is rewilding former grazing land to create native woodland that supports some of the country’s rarest wildlife and restores natural diversity to the landscape.
Bryn Arw
Nestled in the heart of Wales’ Brecon Beacons National Park, Bryn Arw woodland is bringing new life to the Black Mountains. By planting 130,000 native broadleaf trees, this restoration project enhances local biodiversity, connects vital habitats, and plays a significant role in climate change mitigation.
Bowshiel Wood
Bowshiel is a family-led restoration project in Scotland, transforming land back into ancient oakwood. By planting native species, this project is rejuvenating biodiversity, supporting protected species, and creating new green space.
Boston Beech Wood Extension
Planted on the edge of Boston, England, this new woodland supports people as much as it supports nature. Expanding the much-loved Boston Woods Trust site, it provides more space for wildlife, local walks, and community connection.
Hawkshaw
Hawkshaw is a thriving native broadleaf woodland nestled in the heart of the Scottish Borders, beside the scenic River Tweed. Managed with a non-intervention approach, this project will not only boost biodiversity and create vital habitats but also help manage rainwater, reducing the risk of flooding and supporting the local community.
Barr Farm
In Scotland’s Dumfries-shire, a forward-thinking woodland creation project at Barr Farm is delivering lasting environmental and social value. Planted in 2011, this Woodland Carbon Code-validated scheme is expected to sequester over 5,400 tonnes of CO₂ over 50 years, while supporting biodiversity, public access and sustainable timber production.
Available Projects
FAQs
Why do we need more woodland in the UK?
In 2021, the Woodland Trust published its State of the UK’s Woods and Trees report, describing the UK’s woodlands as “in poor condition, facing growing threats, and falling short of creation targets.” Four years later, the 2025 follow-up confirms that while woodland cover is increasing, many of the same issues remain: poor ecological condition, ongoing threats, and unmet targets.
To turn the tide, the report highlights several key actions:
- Creating new woodland
- Restoring ancient woodland
- Managing existing woodland better
- Supporting agroforestry
- Implementing natural flood management
Woodlands offer one of the most effective ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere, storing it in both trees and soil. But they do much more than that; they support biodiversity, improve water quality and cycles as well as soil health; reduce flood risk, and contribute to the well-being of people and nature.
In the UK, woodland creation is a legally binding, long-term land use change. Once planted, the land is subject to regulation, such as the Forestry Act 1967 and Environmental Impact Assessments. Whether the woodland is left to thrive undisturbed or sustainably managed for timber, it will remain forested for the long term, providing a permanent and valuable carbon store.
Where do trees store carbon?
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through their leaves during a process called photosynthesis. To learn more about how this works, watch ‘How Trees Capture and Store Carbon’, a short explainer video by The Woodland Trust.
Which trees absorb the most carbon, and why?
There’s no simple answer; it depends on a range of factors, including the site conditions, management approach, and even the seed source. Under the Woodland Carbon Code, both species and management style influence carbon estimates. For example, a non-intervention broadleaf woodland is typically expected to sequester more tonnes of CO₂e per hectare over its lifetime than a similarly sized conifer project managed through thinning and clear-felling.
In this example graph, the broadleaf sample species include birch, oak, rowan, and elm, with a yield class of 4. The conifer sample species is predominantly Sitka spruce, along with other conifers, with a yield class of 16–20.
The most important principle when planting a woodland is ensuring the right trees are planted in the right place. While tree planting can bring significant benefits, it's not suitable everywhere, particularly on sensitive habitats like peaty soils. In some cases, restoring bogs rather than planting on them is the better path for climate and biodiversity. You can learn more about this in our Forest-to-Bog article.
How do you calculate how much carbon a woodland can sequester?
We use scientifically developed models set out by Forest Research and the Woodland Carbon Code, as well as site-specific knowledge from the foresters delivering the project, to assess how much carbon will be drawn down as a result of the new planting.
Carbon estimates are project-specific and based on a variety of factors, including the species mix and management plan, as well as the establishment method. For example, a non-intervention broadleaf project will likely deliver more Pending Issuance Units over its lifetime than a thin and clearfell conifer project of the same size.
When calculating a project's carbon sequestration, a conservative 20% is first deducted to account for potential data uncertainties. An additional 20% is then allocated to the Woodland Carbon Code’s buffer pool — a shared reserve designed to safeguard against risks such as fire or disease.
How do you verify that your projects are delivering real, tangible benefits?
In the UK, we often work directly with land managers, helping them to plan their woodland and peatland projects, to get them validated through the government-backed Woodland Carbon Code or Peatland Code (if they plan to sell their carbon), and to connect them with buyers. So, in addition to meeting standards set out by the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code, they also carry the reassurance of our hands-on experience.
Unlike our UK projects, we do not have a direct hand in the development of the projects we retail from overseas. However, we ensure the projects are carefully selected and only work with trusted, long-standing partners. All international projects are certified under recognised high-quality standards, such as Plan Vivo, VCS (Verra) and Gold Standard, following and adhering to core principles to ensure the claims they’re making.
All project documentation, including PDDs, carbon calculations, and verification documents, is publicly available on their relevant registries.
We continually look to improve how we assess the projects we offer, including using third-party experts to carry out analysis, due diligence and vetting.
Co-benefits of woodland creation
Woodlands deliver far more for the planet than just reduced carbon emissions.
Green jobs & economies
Woodland creation and management generate local employment, stimulate rural economies, and build skills in sustainable land management.
Improved water quality
Woodland buffers reduce diffuse pollution and livestock access, helping to keep nearby watercourses clean and healthy.
Reduced flood risk
Woodland intercepts rainfall, slows water flow, stabilises soil, and reduces erosion, helping to mitigate flood risk locally.
Learning opportunities
Woodlands can provide outdoor classrooms and hands‑on learning opportunities for schools, community groups, and environmental training programmes.
Soil health recovery
Replacing intensive grazing and silage production with woodland allows for improved soil structure, organic matter levels, and erosion control over time.
Biodiversity boost
Well‑planned woodlands create and restore habitat for a wide range of plants, birds, insects, and mammals, supporting species recovery.
Woodland creation articles
UK peatland restoration
Discover how UK peatland restoration avoids carbon, restores nature, and supports net-zero goals. Explore carbon credits, peatland projects, and their benefits.
International carbon projects
Learn about global carbon projects that restore ecosystems, reduce emissions, and create lasting benefits for nature, people, and the climate.