MoorFutures Peatland Carbon Standard (Germany)

Germany's roughly 1.8 million hectares of degraded peatlands emit around 53 million tonnes of CO2e per year, about 7% of national greenhouse gas emissions, making peatland rewetting a significant national mitigation opportunity.

MoorFutures aims to fund peatland rewetting by selling verified carbon credits to corporate and private buyers wishing to offset emissions, while guaranteeing long-term ecological permanence.

Launched in 2011 by the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with the scientific institute DUENE e.V., the standard is now active in four German federal states (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Hesse). Credits are verified under the GEST (greenhouse gas emission site types) vegetation-based methodology, and landowner contracts run a minimum of 50 years to guarantee permanence under state environmental law.

At Koenigsmoor (Schleswig-Holstein), two projects since 2014 have retired over 50,000 tCO2e. At Grotmoor (Kreis Segeberg), approximately 100 ha were rewetted in 2025 with 43,000+ certificates issued. Current operational area totals approximately 140 ha, with certificates priced EUR 30-123/tCO2e and documented buyers including McDonald's, Commerzbank and Engbers.

MoorFutures demonstrates that peatland rewetting is technically and economically viable at a regional scale. Germany's Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has recognised the GEST methodology as a model for a future national peatland carbon standard, and BfN has published peer-reviewed integration of biodiversity co-benefits.