- Work with us
- Land stewards
Land stewards
- Businesses & individualsBusinesses & individuals
- CollaboratorsCollaborators
- Our projects
- About us
- Resources
Collaborating to scale the UK’s voluntary carbon market
From day one, we’ve focused on strengthening the UK's voluntary carbon market, not just Forest Carbon. We work with 'market builders' (innovators, Code verifiers, investors, etc.) to drive progress and scale. If our expertise can support your goals, reach out and let’s explore working together.
At Forest Carbon, collaboration isn’t a tactic. It’s part of our DNA. As one of the instigators of the UK’s woodland and peatland voluntary carbon markets (VCM), we helped get this sector moving. We did it with a pioneering spirit, a readiness to get stuck in, and the tenacity to keep going despite critics.
Two decades on, we still take seriously the responsibility to keep the market strong and effective, because it’s vital for funding nature projects now and in the future. And we still take the same approach — open and honest, encouraging debate and discussion with respect and good humour.
By mentoring, sharing insight, and rolling up our sleeves alongside like-minded partners across the market, we support innovation and disruption. We’re determined to continue scaling the UK VCM and wider nature markets, not just for our own business, but for everyone committed to making real, lasting change. If you think we can achieve this together, we want to hear from you.
Peers we've collaborated with
Market builders
If you’re building tools, expertise, or solutions, or deploying finance to advance the UK VCM, and think Forest Carbon’s insight could be helpful, let’s connect. We'd love to explore collaborating to scale impact.
Forest Carbon through the ages
Steve's MBA Dissertation
This story starts with our founders, James and Steve, and a well-timed coincidence. James, then Director of a tree nursery, proposed a question to the Durham Business School MBA programme: could a carbon market for UK woodlands work? Steve picked it up, dug into how a voluntary carbon market might function, and the two soon found themselves exploring the idea in earnest.
The Handshake
Their first pitch to generate funding for a pilot woodland carbon project was to Marks & Spencer, and resulted in a purchase order. Equally surprised and buoyed, they shook hands at Paddington Station and decided to give it a proper go. Forest Carbon was born, and they got to work adapting international best practices to UK conditions and building a credible market for woodland carbon from the ground up.
Lacking Assurance
With over 40 woodlands and 800 hectares planted alongside early partners like Marks & Spencer and the Green Insurance Company, Forest Carbon’s work was gaining momentum. But it lacked a formal standard. So we joined forces with others to push for a UK woodland carbon code — something credible, transparent, and backed by government — to give confidence to buyers and legitimacy to the projects.
Building a Market
After two more years of development and pilot projects, the Forestry Commission launched the first version of the Woodland Carbon Code. Forest Carbon had been closely involved throughout, with Steve serving on the advisory board for the next 12 years. The Code gave the market a solid foundation: independent verification, clear rules, and public transparency.
The First of Firsts
Milton of Mathers, funded by the Green Insurance Company, became the first Forest Carbon project to be validated under the Woodland Carbon Code. It also happened to be the Code’s first-ever validation. A milestone for both the project, the standard and Forest Carbon!
Recognising Peatlands
With the Woodland Carbon Code up and running, attention turned to another vital, carbon-rich habitat: peatland. Between 2013 and 2015, we worked with Defra and other partners to build the business case for a Peatland Code, contributing through early project pilots and a seat on the Advisory Board.
Validating Peatland Restoration
Dryhope became the first peatland restoration project to be validated under the Peatland Code. Developed in partnership with Tweed Forum, it was piloted through the process by George, Forest Carbon’s third team member.
The Carbon Club
As interest in UK woodland and peatland projects grew, and terms like “carbon neutrality” started to gain traction, we found ourselves inundated with enquiries from individuals and small businesses. To make their support count, we launched the Carbon Club: a way to pool smaller contributions into something big enough to fund meaningful projects.
A Growing Market
Whether driven by rising climate awareness or looming regulation, interest in the UK voluntary carbon market surged. By this time, Forest Carbon had supported over 180 new UK woodlands, planting 10 million trees across an area the size of Manhattan, plus more in Ireland and internationally. We often covered project costs upfront, without knowing if credits would sell. That year, with a sharp rise in demand, the risk began to pay off.
Deserved Recognition
James received an OBE for “Services to Forestry and the Environment in Scotland.” By then, he had spent over 30 years in forestry and woodland carbon, co-founding Confor, contributing to the original carbon calculations for the Woodland Carbon Code, and shaping the early Peatland Code. He served as President of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society, chaired the River Tweed Forum, and in 2016 was made an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters.
Also, at the end of 2023, Forest Carbon became an employee-owned business through an employee ownership trust.
Funding Nature+
Now a team of eight, we launched the Nature+ sponsorship model to support smaller projects that can’t justify the cost of WCC certification. These sites often struggle to get off the ground, despite strong potential for biodiversity. Nature+ gives them a chance, making it possible to restore even small pockets of unproductive land across the UK. We also won Sustainable Consultancy of the Year at the Sustainability Awards in 2024!
