The Government has approved the first ever UK carbon accreditation scheme enabling businesses that deal in cars and road transport to be able to communicate UK woodland creation projects in their greenhouse gas reports.

The Woodland Carbon Code has been developed by an industry stakeholder group led by the Forestry Commission. The initiative aims to provide transparency and credibility to UK woodland projects designed to capture and store carbon.

The code provides a best practice guide for organisations wishing to create woodland to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Woodland Trust has been instrumental in the Code's creation and their Woodland Carbon product for businesses will be one of the first to receive accreditation.

The Trust's Dr Nick Atkinson, who has played a pivotal role in working with the Forestry Commission to create the Code, said: “The Woodland Carbon Code puts woodland creation on the map as part of the UK’s response to climate change.

"Businesses that deal in cars and road transport, who are looking to voluntarily support tree planting, can have confidence in the claims made around carbon removal whilst at the same time demonstrating their environmental commitment to their customers.”

To become certified the Trust's carbon product has secured an initial 160 hectares of land through a partnership with the MOD's Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). Native trees will be planted at their Defence Training Estate range at Warcop in Cumbria.