Additionality for high-quality carbon credits
What is additionality for carbon offsets?
Additionality in carbon offsets assesses whether actions like tree planting or peatland restoration would occur without external support or funding. It assesses whether an activity provides something 'additional'.
In the case of our woodland projects, this means we can show that without the intervention of Forest Carbon and its partners, the trees wouldn't be there. The same goes for healthy peat after peatland restoration.
Additionality is tested stringently under the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code, which look at financial, legal, and behavioural barriers.
Read more about Forest Carbon's quality assurance standards here.
Monitoring new woodlands and restored peatlands
It is not enough to plant a woodland or restore a peatland and then just leave it. Continual monitoring is crucial, particularly if carbon claims are going to be made over the project’s lifetime.
Forest Carbon regularly visits its projects to check on their progress. In addition, under the respective Code, all of our woodlands are signed off at planting and then audited at year 5 and every 10 years thereafter, by an appointed Validation/Verification body (VVB). Peatlands are the same, however, they must be validated within one year of restoration ending.
A Validation/Verification Body (VVB) is an independent third-party organisation that assesses projects to ensure they meet the high standards of the Code.
