Carbon Offset Partnerships

Helping you reach Net Zero

The Climate Emergency and biodiversity crisis are two of this century’s greatest challenges. In response, Scotland has committed to reach Net Zero by 2045. Meeting this target will require efforts from individuals, organisations and businesses of every

As Scotland's largest land manager, we are in a position to act on a large scale and make a big impact. Our carbon projects include planting new woodlands and restoring damaged peatlands across Scotland. But we can't do it alone.

By working with partners, we can scale up our response to the Climate Emergency. Together we can deliver projects that will support a green future for Scotland's landscapes, people and the planet.

Carbon Capture: Working with Forestry and Land Scotland (PDF)

How it works 

Carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere by trees as they grow. Planting more trees in the right places is a vital method of capturing carbon. New woodlands in Scotland can also provide many other benefits to the environment and local communities.

About 1/5th of Scotland's land is made up of peatlands. These areas store a huge amount of carbon in their soils - 25 times more than all the trees and plants in the UK put together! However, when peatlands are damaged, they release this carbon pack into the atmosphere. The vast majority of Scotland’s peatlands need restoration work to prevent these emissions and protect these important habitats.

The benefits 

All our projects are verified to the Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code standards. This means the carbon benefits of our projects are independently quantified and monitored for up to 100 years. 

Our carbon projects also bring many other benefits like: 

• Restoring degraded landscapes and creating new habitats for wildlife
• Creating green spaces for people to enjoy
• Improving local water quality, flood and drought resilience
• Providing sustainable construction materials

Corporate partnerships will play an important part in our future. We bring together private funding and public land to tackle the Climate Emergency and biodiversity crisis side by side.

Our first partnership, launched in 2019, will see a £5 million investment in creating new woodlands and restoring degraded peatlands over 5 years. We’re starting with a project to re-establish Caledonian pine forests over hundreds of hectares across Glen Garry in the west Highlands. 

Get on board 

There are many reasons why your organisation might want to get involved in carbon projects with Forestry and Land Scotland, and a greener future. 

• Protect and enhance Scotland’s iconic landscapes
• Support projects local to you
• Support projects that provide specific wider impacts beyond carbon, such as community or water benefits
• Create a diverse portfolio of carbon projects that can offset unavoidable emissions for decades to come 

Supporting our carbon projects is just one step that organisations can take to help combat the climate emergency. Before considering offsetting, we expect you to have taken steps to:

• Measure your carbon footprint
• Prevent any avoidable emissions
• Reduce your remaining emissions as far as possible

We look forward to working with organisations that are committed to working towards their own science-based net zero targets. Our partners share our dedication to combatting the climate and biodiversity crises with tangible results that are good for the environment, and good for Scotland.

If you want to join us, please get in touch: enquiries@forestryandland.gov.scot