Launch of version 3 of Woodland Carbon Code

The Woodland Carbon Code (“WCC”) is the UK’s voluntary carbon standard for woodland creation projects, managed by the Scottish Forestry on behalf of the Forestry Commission, Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Forest Service. Woodland carbon units produced from verified WCC projects can assist companies who are seeking to compensate for carbon emissions, which can be particularly useful for hard to mitigate carbon emissions such as scope 3 emissions. The WCC states that it has helped create 38,705 hectares of new woodland which are predicted to remove 13 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the projects’ lifetime. 

The WCC was launched in 2011 and is now in its third iteration, Version 3 of the WCC was introduced on 1 August 2025. The latest version has improved the accessibility, practicality and commercial viability of the WCC and has implemented changes to reflect these accordingly. The most notable changes include: 

• Allowing projects covering up to 10 hectares to use a streamlined approach to validation and verification. 
• Generally clarifying guidance and requirements.
• Addressing projects on crofted land specifically to encourage more of these kinds of projects. Specific references to crofted land have not been included in previous versions of the WCC. Version 3 of the WCC details how tenanted crofts can be eligible, the means of validation and verification, and the commitments required. 
• Aligning minimum project duration with international standards – this means that the minimum project duration will now be 40 years.
• Clarifying the survey protocol.
• Streamlining and amending template documents.
• Updating data in the additionality cashflow and carbon calculator. 

Projects in development that are using Version 2.2 can continue to submit for validation or verification using that version up until 30 June 2026.

WCC Version 3 is intended to take into account the practical issues facing land managers and the management of land in the current market, and to increase the ease and opportunities afforded to landowners who would like to participate in woodland creation projects. It aims to reaffirm the WCC as a high-integrity carbon standard while attracting further participation of landowners and organisations. 

This post was written by Carys Cox, part of Burges Salmon’s Natural Capital team.

The changes are designed to make the Woodland Carbon Code more accessible, practical and commercially viable for the land management sector.

https://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/news/25362207.new-version-woodland-carbon-code-launched-uk/