The FC position

 

There is growing interest in the use of carbon offset schemes that offer opportunities for individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon 'footprint' through the purchase of ‘carbon credits’ generated by planting woodlands and trees. Like the rest of Government, the Forestry Commission is fully committed to the view that offsetting schemes are only of value when used in conjunction with, rather than instead of, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. We have recently given our views on the role of forests and woodlands in the voluntary carbon offset market to the Environmental Audit Committee's investigation.

Our views on offsetting:

• Offsetting schemes are only of value when used in conjunction with emissions reduction.
• Carbon offset schemes may provide an additional incentive for creating multi-purpose woodlands but we do not support planting trees solely for carbon sequestration.
• The market for domestic forestry offsets currently allows significant discrepancies in quality between schemes. Issues of whether the planting may have happened without the scheme, and of double-counting the offset, are not always be adequately addressed.
• There is no common approach to assessing the carbon sequestered or ensuring that the management of the forest maximises net carbon sequestration.
• We believe there is scope to work with stakeholders to expand the standards and guidance for UK forestry to encompass carbon offset schemes to provide a voluntary benchmark to give consumers a degree of assurance.
• The standards we set for sustainable forestry apply to all woodland management, including those where carbon is a stated objective.
• There is good understanding of the science used to assess the carbon in the above ground biomass but understanding of soil processes in forests, as in other ecosystems, is more limited.
• Carbon offsetting through forest based schemes offer a sustainable land use with a wide range of benefits over a long time period.
• Forests produce wood products which substitute for fossil fuels and energy intensive materials.
• Forests contribute in other ways to mitigating climate change, for example by flood and erosion control, protection of biodiversity and improving the urban environment.
• The forestry sector has the knowledge and expertise to manage forest resources sustainably to deliver multiple goods and services to society.