Reporting emissions and climate action

Companies can use Woodland Carbon Units as part of their environmental reporting activities. All quoted and large companies are legally required to measure and report their greenhouse gas emissions. Other companies are encouraged to do so voluntarily.  

The UK Government’s Environmental Reporting Guidelines explain how you can use Woodland Carbon Units to compensate for your company’s gross UK-based emissions and how you report other environmental benefits. 

PAS 2060: 2014 is an internationally recognised standard which helps organisations demonstrate carbon neutrality. Developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI), it shows how you can use Woodland Carbon Units to claim carbon neutrality for an activity, product, service, building, project or event in the UK.

The UK Government has produced a guide on making environmental claims for your product, service or organisation. 

You should show which units and how many units you have used to compensate for your emissions and provide a link to your retired Woodland Carbon Code units in the UK Land Carbon Registry in your environmental reports.

Communicating your climate action  

Once you have bought units, you can highlight your support for woodland creation and carbon reduction to others. 

You may want to share the news through communication channels like your website, social media, newsletters and signage. 

You can use the Woodland Carbon Code logo and publish statements about your investment.

Statements about Pending Issuance Units 

Companies which have bought Pending Issuance Units can share statements about their plans to compensate for future emissions and their investment in woodland creation. Statements must include information about the timescale of the expected carbon sequestration. 

Example: 

“We are proud to be setting out plans to address climate change and to support woodland creation while working towards being net zero.  

We have purchased 5,000 Pending Issuance Units from John’s Wood in Dorset. This project is registered with the Woodland Carbon Code, the quality assurance standard for woodland creation projects in the UK. Our Pending Issuance Units are expected to be verified by 2040.  

If verified, these units will compensate for 30% of our planned UK emissions between 2025 and 2040. We hope to be net zero by 2050.”

Statements about Woodland Carbon Units 

Companies which have bought Woodland Carbon Units can report using them to compensate for their unavoidable emissions in line with the UK’s Environmental Reporting Guidelines. 

Example: 

“We are proud to support woodland creation and to be helping to address climate change. 

We have purchased 1,000 Woodland Carbon Units from Lorne Forest in Perth to compensate for 50% of our 2023 unavoidable UK emissions.  

This project Lorne Forest, Project ID 103000000012345, has been verified to the Woodland Carbon Code, by <verifier’s name>. Project documentation can be found here <registry link>. The units were retired on 1/4/2024 and are shown on the registry retirement page here <registry retirement link>.”