Positive changes to Woodland Carbon Code
A new version of the Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) – the quality assurance standard for UK woodland carbon projects – has been published with the early indications looking like the update will be financially and practically beneficial to landowners and land managers alike.
Version 3 of the WCC was officially launched on 1 August. However, there is a transition period which means projects already in development can continue to submit for validation or verification using the previous version until 30 June 2026.
Key changes are as follows:
- Revising rules to encourage more projects on crofted land
- Allowing small projects up to 10 hectares (up from 5 hectares) to use a streamlined approach
- Providing clearer downloadable information on requirements and guidance
- Changing the minimum project duration to 40 years to align with international standards
- Updating data in the additionality cashflow and carbon calculator
- Clarifying the survey protocol
- Refreshing and streamlining template documents i.e contracts and communication agreements
Our first impressions of the update are positive. The calculator is now much easier to use and the updated economic data behind it represents a significant improvement.
In fact, the first project we tested showed an uplift of 3,000 Pending Issuance Units (PIUs), highlighting the potential for the new version to deliver better results than before. If you are currently between registration and validation, it may be worth re-running your figures through the updated calculator to see how your numbers might change.
The changes to the additionality calculations also mean that schemes with a higher percentage of productive conifers may now qualify.
If you would like to know more about the Woodland Carbon Code, contact our Woodland Carbon & Natural Capital Advisor Sasha Laing.
