Conservation Covenants Carbon

Why use a Conservation Covenant for Carbon? 

Woodland creation, peatland restoration, and other carbon sequestration projects only generate credible, sellable carbon credits if the underlying land use is secured for the long term — often decades. Many buyers, verifiers, and standards increasingly expect permanence to be demonstrated through a robust legal mechanism, not just a management plan. 

A Conservation Covenant binds the land itself, rather than just the current owner, so the carbon outcome remains protected through future sales, inheritance, or changes in tenancy. This gives investors and buyers the confidence to pay for credits up front and gives landowners a durable way to diversify income from land that may be marginal for conventional farming. 

A Conservation Covenant for carbon typically helps with: 

• Demonstrating long-term permanence of woodland, peatland, or soil carbon projects to buyers and verification schemes 
• Reassuring investors and credit purchasers that the land use won't be reversed 
• Structuring agreements that survive a change of ownership or tenancy 
• Combining carbon objectives with other outcomes — such as BNG or habitat restoration — on the same parcel of land 
• Formalising long-term land management commitments alongside a natural capital or carbon agreement 

Who this applies to

• Landowners — generating long-term income from woodland creation, peatland restoration, or carbon farming 
• Local authorities — securing carbon outcomes on council-owned land as part of net zero commitments