Valuta voor Veen — Dutch National Peatland Carbon Credit Standard

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.