1.1 Key project dates
Requirement
- From 1 October 2022, all projects shall register before work begins onsite (project implementation date)*.
- Single projects shall be validated within three years of registration. For groups, projects can be added to a group (subject to group rules) up to the point of validation. Group validation shall be carried out within three years of the date of the first registration within the group. For single projects or groups, a validation extension will be given in extenuating circumstances.
- Validation statements shall only be issued once planting is completed (the project start date).
- Projects shall have a clearly defined duration and shall not exceed 100 years. Projects involving clearfelling shall have a minimum project duration equal to the shortest clearfell rotation in the project.
*Note: registration dates were different prior to 1 October 2022:
- Between 1 July 2021 and 30 September 2022, projects had to be registered before planting began (or, for natural regeneration, the fence was complete or deer control to enable natural regeneration commenced).
- Before 1 July 2021, projects had to register within two years of the start of planting (or, for natural regeneration, within two years of the fence being completed or within two years of deer control to enable natural regeneration commencing).
Guidance
Project start date and registration
The project implementation date is the date when work begins onsite, either fencing, deer control, ground preparation or planting, whichever occurs first. For a project with a combination of planting and natural regeneration, the project implementation date will be the earliest of the two dates.
The project start date is the last day of planting or, for natural regeneration, the date when fencing is complete or deer management has reduced deer numbers to an acceptable level for natural regeneration. For a project with a combination of planting and natural regeneration, the project start date will be the latest of the two dates. Carbon sequestration is claimed from the start date.
For groups of projects validated together, the group start date is the latest start date within the group. Carbon sequestration is claimed from the group start date.
The date of registration is the date on which a project moves from ‘Draft’ to ‘Under Development’ status on the UK Land Carbon Registry. This is the date the project is approved by the Woodland Carbon Code Secretariat and S&P Global.
Project duration
The project duration is the time over which carbon sequestration claims are to be made. The duration can be up to 100 years from the project start date and, for schemes involving clearfelling, the minimum duration is the length of the shortest clearfell period in the project. Many schemes claim carbon for a shorter period (e.g. 40 years for a conifer project managed on a 40 year rotation or 65-75 years for a native woodland project managed with minimum intervention). This could be because the landowner does not want to commit for a longer period or as it is not cost effective to verify carbon sequestration from later vintages.
Project end date
The project end date is the project start date + project duration. E.g. if project start date is 01/04/2013 and duration is 100 years, then end date is 31/3/2113.
The project duration should not be confused with permanence. All projects shall involve a permanent land-use change to woodland cover.
Validation Extensions
For single projects or groups, a validation extension will be given in extenuating circumstances, for example, if your planting will span 3-5 planting seasons, or planting is unavoidably delayed. Contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
