Woodland Trust launches carbon scheme for businesses

Louise Bateman

12th February 2010

The Woodland Trust has launched a carbon scheme that it says will allow companies to mitigate their emissions, whilst at the same time enhancing the UK countryside.

The Woodland Trust says that by joining its Woodland Carbon scheme, UK businesses can help meet their carbon offset targets at the same time as increasing the native woodland coverage in the UK. Trees capture carbon and store it by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

Currently 12 per cent of UK land is covered by woodland, but most of that is made up of non-native species, such as conifers, which don’t aid biodiversity. The Woodland Trust says native woodland will play a vital role in helping us adapt to future climate change by creating valuable wildlife habitats, aiding flood alleviation and offering wind protection. The conservation charity’s aim is to double the coverage of native woodland in the UK from its current four per cent.

“Carbon trees are guaranteed to be planted and left in our estate for generations to come, in order to soak up the required CO2,” said a Woodland Trust spokesperson. “We have worked out that one tonne of C02 is absorbed by the planting of 25 m2 of woodland. So companies which buy Woodland Carbon from us will get this message.”

Working with the Carbon Trust

The Woodland Trust has been working with the Carbon Trust on ensuring its Woodland Carbon scheme is robust, but has avoided calling it a carbon offset scheme because of regulations around carbon offsetting. David Taylor of the Woodland Trust, however, said it was “more than an offset” because it also helped create a native woodland.

“Importantly for businesses in this country Woodland Carbon means carbon mitigation in the UK, rather than overseas,” he added. This enables companies to promote a unique environmental message which resonates really well with customers based in the UK.”

The Woodland Trust currently owns 1,000 sites covering approximately 20,000 hectares, but the charity is also looking to work with other private landowners to plant more carbon trees.