evidoria

← Back to browse

Good practice Imported

Valuta voor Veen — Dutch National Peatland Carbon Credit Standard

Netherlands · Utrecht · See the Netherlands profile · See the Utrecht profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 47% 47/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Netherlands peatland carbon standard: farmers raise groundwater in drained peat meadows earning SNK-verified credits at €75–115/tCO₂e. Peat subsidence is ~2.8% of Dutch CO₂; rewetting cuts emissions 50–75%. First credits sold July 2022 (South Holland); five provinces active.

2.8 %
Share of Dutch CO₂-equivalent emissions from drained peat soils (current)
50-75 %
Estimated emission reduction from rewetting (research estimate)
75-115 €/tCO₂e
SNK-verified carbon credit price (current)
~1 cm/year
Peat subsidence avoided (per rewetted site)
5 provinces
Dutch provinces with active projects (by 2024)

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
Natuur en Milieufederaties / Stichting Nationale Koolstofmarkt
Period
2019–present
Region (NUTS)
NL31
Keywords
environment, agriculture, carbon markets

Context

Valuta voor Veen (Value for Peat) is the Netherlands' national carbon-credit standard for peatland rewetting, developed by Natuur en Milieufederaties in collaboration with the Stichting Nationale Koolstofmarkt (SNK) since 2019. It enables private farmers in drained peat-meadow landscapes to earn verified carbon credits by raising groundwater levels, reducing peat oxidation and the associated CO₂ emissions.

Objectives

To reduce oxidation-driven CO₂ emissions from drained agricultural peat soils, which represent approximately 2.8% of total Dutch CO₂-equivalent emissions, by creating a financial incentive for farmers to raise groundwater tables.

Activities

The SNK verification methodology certifies farmer-level groundwater-raising projects and issues tradable carbon credits. The programme held its first credit sales in July 2022 in South Holland, with projects active in five Dutch provinces by 2024, and the methodology is being developed for alignment with the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Framework (CRCF).

Results

Rewetting is estimated, per WUR and MultiPeat research, to reduce oxidation-driven CO₂ emissions by 50-75%, depending on initial drainage level and target groundwater table. SNK-verified credits are currently priced at €75-115 per tCO₂e. Ground-level co-benefits include reduced peat subsidence (approximately 1 cm/year avoided) and improved local water retention.

Conclusions

Formal biodiversity monitoring is not yet required under the current version of the standard, even though partial restoration of wet grassland habitat for wading birds is reported as a co-benefit.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k) — No aggregate programme budget is disclosed; credits are priced at €75-115 per tCO₂e, reflecting verification and market costs — a conservative medium-cost estimate for a national standard-setting body.
Time to results
Medium (1–3 years) — Standard development began in 2019; first credit sales took place in July 2022; the programme was active in five provinces by 2024, with ongoing work to align with the EU CRCF framework.
Staffing & skills
Developed by Natuur en Milieufederaties in collaboration with Stichting Nationale Koolstofmarkt (SNK), Credit verification carried out under the SNK methodology

Conditions for success

  • A robust, publicly available verification methodology
  • Ongoing alignment with the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Framework (CRCF) for future credibility and market access
  • Premium credit pricing reflecting methodology credibility and reported co-benefits

Common failure modes

  • Formal biodiversity monitoring is not yet required under the current version of the standard
  • The cited emission-reduction range is drawn from external WUR/MultiPeat research rather than site-specific empirical verification of every credited project

Where it fits

Governance type
National NGO/foundation-run voluntary carbon standard
Scale
National, multi-province
Income level
High-income (Netherlands)

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes LIFE Programme

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

Do you run this practice? Claim it — verified implementers get a public contact pathway and can propose corrections.

Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

Similar practices you may find useful

★ 93

UK Peatland Code

United Kingdom

The UK's quality-assurance standard for peatland restoration: it issues verified carbon units for rewetting degraded peat, delivering bundled carbon, water …