We are at the forefront of innovation in carbon and ecosystem service markets.
At Soil Association Certification, we validate and verify to carbon and nature schemes. At the same time, we help to shape these emerging markets. Our certification experts undertake pilot validations and design tailored assessment frameworks that evaluate Code auditability in accordance with ISO standards, enhancing credibility, transparency and impact in natural capital methodologies.
Our work enables the assessment of scalable, high-integrity nature-based solutions that contribute to environmental value and support opportunities for both landowners and market participants.
We led the delivery of pilot validation assessments for the UK Woodland Water Code on behalf of Forest Research. The Code encourages private investment in woodland creation for the improvement of freshwater environments. We tailored a validation assessment framework and shared our expertise, helping to ensure the Code was both auditable and practical.
We led the delivery of pilot validation assessments for the UK Saltmarsh Carbon Code on behalf of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH). The Code aims to scale up finance for saltmarsh restoration projects.
We tailored an assessment process designed to support auditability and practical implementation. Pilot validation assessments were carried out at RSPB Hesketh and RSPB Awre.
Wilder Carbon is a pioneering UK-based carbon standard. It is designed to support carbon and biodiversity benefits through wilding projects in the UK.
Soil Association Certification played a key role in the early stages of putting the standard into practice. We developed robust assessment processes and delivered the first two pathfinder validation assessments:
Honeygar: Somerset Wildlife Trust’s 80-hectare wetland restoration of a former dairy farm in the Somerset Levels
Heather Corrie Vale: Kent Wildlife Trust’s rewilding of an abandoned golf course in the Darenth Valley
To help grow the Wilder Carbon model, we also created and hosted training: The Certified Trusted Deliverer programme. This course aims to build a network of skilled practitioners who are committed to delivering high-integrity projects.
EnTrade enables businesses and landholders to trade environmental services (such as Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality) from certified projects.
Guided by the Environmental Markets Board, EnTrade aims to ensure that all environmental service trades are transparent, fair and efficient.
Soil Association Certification delivers independent third-party assurance. Through an annual audit programme, we assess EnTrade’s compliance with the Environmental Market Rules, helping to build trust, ensure compliance, and uphold market integrity.
Biodiversity credits offer an exciting opportunity to scale-up and finance nature restoration.
We have worked alongside project partners at International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Scottish Forestry and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) to help shape a robust, auditable methodology for biodiversity crediting within the Woodland Carbon Code and UK Peatland Code.
Drawing on our expertise, we carried out three on-site pilot assessments to support the development of key Code criteria. Our team provided detailed, practical feedback on the auditability of the methodology, including the use of diverse metrics and approaches for assessing biodiversity baselines across different habitat types.
This collaborative work is helping to lay the foundation for high-integrity biodiversity markets. It also strengthens the role of nature-based solutions in supporting meaningful environmental impact.
In partnership with the Soil Association Charity, Woodland Trust, and Finance Earth, we explored opportunities for a whole-farm approach to developing natural capital.
We created a framework that brings together key elements from the Woodland Carbon Code, UK Peatland Code, and Agroforestry Code, and integrates hedgerow carbon.
We tested this framework through three on-site validation pilots, which provided valuable insights into practical ways to validate whole-farm natural capital.
