GovWire

Our case study from project developer, Brown & Co. who had a number of successful applicants in the first Woodland Carbon Guarantee auction, looks at the scheme and its potential benefits to landowners.

Key facts

The Woodland Carbon Guarantee aims to help accelerate woodland planting rates and develop the domestic market for woodland carbon for the permanent removal of carbon from the atmosphere.

• the Guarantee offers landowners the option to sell their captured carbon in the form of verified carbon credits, called Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs)

• woodland creation projects accepted into the Woodland Carbon Guarantee have the option to sell these WCUs to the government every 5 or 10 years up to 2055/56. The government will buy the WCUs for an agreed guaranteed price that is index-linked for the life of the contract. You can still choose to sell the carbon credits on the open market at any time

• the Woodland Carbon Guarantee is open to land managers who are owner occupiers, tenants, landlords and licensors, as long as they have control of the land and all the activities needed to meet the obligations of the Guarantee for the full duration of the contract

• Woodland Carbon Guarantee applications may be made alongside applications for woodland creation grants