UK Woodland Carbon Code Governance
WCC Secretariat
The UK Woodland Carbon Code Secretariat function is provided by Scottish Forestry, on behalf of the Forestry Commission in England, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Forest Service. Prior to April 2019 it was managed by the Forestry Commission.
Scottish Forestry is the Scottish Government Agency responsible for forestry policy, support and regulation.
Executive Board
This board is the executive body responsible for managing the day-to-day running of the Code including its application, promotion and strategic and technical development. It meets around 6 times per year.
Specific tasks include:
- Annual review and update of the Code
- Interpretation of the Code and its application, including dispute resolution
- Design of the validation, monitoring and verification process
- Support for the operation of the registry
- Project validation/verification support and governance
- Approval of validation/verification bodies
- Capacity building, communication and promotion of the Code
- Periodic reports on the uptake of the Code and a triannual evaluation
- Establish sub-committees as necessary to deal with specific issues (e.g. communications)
Members:
- Dr Pat Snowdon, Scottish Forestry (UK management team)
- Dr Vicky West, Scottish Forestry (UK management team)
- Andrew Baker, Scottish Forestry (UK management team)
- Dr Mark Broadmeadow, Forestry Commission
- Jamie Smith, Scottish Forestry
- Fiona Hay, Welsh Government
- Ben Searle, Northern Ireland Forest Service
Advisory Board
Terms of Reference
Role: The role of the Advisory Board is to advise the Executive Board on the application, promotion, revision and further development of the Woodland Carbon Code. It meets around four times per year or more frequently as required.
Scope: The board advises on:
- Development and revision of the Code and supporting tools and guidance
- Interpretation of the Code and its application
- Validation, monitoring and verification processes
- Communication and promotion of the Code
- Monitoring, research and evaluation
- Market development
Impartiality and Conflict of Interest: Any potential conflicts of interest shall be stated by the members of the Advisory Board and the WCC Secretariat will manage accordingly.
Chair and Secretariat: The WCC Secretariat at Scottish Forestry act as chair and provide secretariat services.
Members
Members from a broad range of forest sector and carbon market stakeholders, Other experts can be asked to attend as and when necessary. Members of the board are appointed by the WCC Executive Board and membership is reveiwed regularly.
- Members of the WCC Executive Board
- Government
- Defra, Saynab Ibrahim
- BEIS, Peter Coleman
- Forestry Representative Bodies (representatives of each body will rotate 2-yearly from 2023)
- Institute of Chartered Foresters, Robert South
- CONFOR, Andy Leitch
- Landowner Representative Bodies (representatives of each body will rotate 2-yearly from 2023)
- Country, Land and Business Association, Graham Clark
- Academia/Research
- Forest Research, Ewan Mackie
- Edinburgh University Business School, Matthew Brander
- Other standards-setters
- UK Woodland Assurance Standard/Wilson Applied Consultancy, Peter Wilson
- UK Peatland Code, Renée Kervliet-Hermans
- Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment, Nick Blyth
- Validators/Verifiers
- Soil Association, Andy Grundy
- Organic Farmers and Growers, Steve Clarkson
- Project Developers (Project Developers serve a 2-year term on the Advisory Board)
- Forest of Marston Vale Trust, James Russell
- Scottish Woodlands Ltd, Emma Kerr
- Buyers/Investors (Buyer/investors serve a 2-year term on the Advisory Board)
- End-User: Boston Consulting Group, Bruce Kennedy
- Retail Aggregator: Vacant, tbc
- Investor: Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company Plc and Foresight Group, Robert Guest
Minutes of WCC Advisory Board Meetings | Main Agenda Items
2023
September
May | WCC Strategy and Direction | Priorities for 2023/24
February | WCC 2023 Preview | New Methodologies (Water and Agroforestry) | UK Nature Markets Framework | Research Projects (Carbon Pricing and Community Benefits)
2022
October | Governance | Developing Markets | WCC V2.2 Changes | ICVCM Core Carbon Principles
April | WCC Update V2.2
January | Additionality | Governance | UK Land Carbon Registry Fees | Market Development
Disputes Panel
The Disputes Panel deals with any disputes relating to interpretation of the Standard. Any complaints relating to the conduct of Scottish Forestry staff members should follow our standard complaints procedure.
The panel consists of:
- Peter Wilson (Chair of the Panel, Wilson Applied Consultancy, WCC Advisory Board),
- Andy Leitch (CONFOR, WCC Advisory Board)
- Dr Pat Snowdon (Scottish Forestry, WCC Executive Board)
- Dr Mark Broadmeadow (Forestry Commission, WCC Executive Board)
If the appointed Advisory Board members have a conflict of interest concerning any case, then the Executive Board will appoint an alternative Advisory Board member. Voting is by majority; in the case of a split decision, the chair has the casting vote.
The Panel meets as required and advises the Executive Board. If you have an issue to bring to the Disputes Panel, complete the Claimant Dispute Form and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The process followed is set out below.
- The Disputes Panel will invite the ‘claimant’ to make their case
- The WCC Secretariat and/or the validator/ verifier will also provide information on the case
- The Panel will consider all information and then share a draft response with the claimant for comment.
- The claimant will have a fixed time to comment.
- Any new information will be shared with the WCC secretariat to ensure a common understanding of the issues.
- The panel will consider any further information and then formally respond.
- The Disputes Panel’s decision is final.
Development of the Code
We are still developing and improving the scheme.
Summary of main developments to date.
- 2007-2011: Development, consultation and piloting
- 2011: Launch of the Code
- 2012-2013: Piloting and launch of group scheme validation
- 2013: Launch of UK Woodland Carbon Registry on Markit Registry
- 2014: Listing of Pending Issuance Units for all projects.
- 2015: Small Woods Scheme Pilot launched, Verification pilot
- 2015-2016: Piloting and launch of verification process
- 2016: Year 5 Verification Process Launched
- 2018: Launch of Version 2 of the WCC
- 2020: Launch of the UK Land Carbon Registry - a joint registry for Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code projects
- 2021: Version 2.1 of the WCC
- 2022: Version 2.2 of the WCC - Updates to additionality, registry/ avoidance of double counting and integration of the Woodland Benefits Tool
