Common Mistakes and Pitfalls in Carbon Farming

The costliest mistakes come early: registering without understanding the obligations, and picking a pathway that does not match what the owner may want to do in twenty years. Poor maps and missing consents from a mortgagee or leaseholder can stall a registration.

This checklist runs through mistakes at every stage: selling every unit at once with nothing in reserve, missing return deadlines, buying land without checking its ETS status, leaving the forest unmanaged after registration, and having no exit plan.