[Skip to main content](#main-content) ![brucker-moos-01](https://img.ecotree.green/flora/medium-shot/brucker-moos-01.jpg?d=128x128)Certified water credits: invest in restoring Europe's freshwater ================================================================ Support water restoration that protects the quantity and quality of freshwater, a resource every business and ecosystem depends on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Contact us ](https://ecotree.green/en/companies/form/water-contact) [ Contact us ](https://ecotree.green/en/companies/form/water-contact) ![A stream lined with meadows and trees in autumn colours](https://img.ecotree.green/flora/medium-shot/brucker-moos-01.jpg?d=128x128) ### Our water restoration projects Explore the wetland and peatland restoration projects your company can support. Each one is located in a specific catchment, targets a measured volume of water and has a local, social dimension. Download the project sheets to learn more or request a project sourced near you. ![Waterlogged woodland path through the Briec peatland in Brittany, France.](https://img.ecotree.green/flora/ground-view/briec-peatland-01.jpg?d=240x135) #### Briec Peatland Target: 58.500 m³ of water retained 200,000 m² project area Wetland restoration Finistère, Brittany, France [ View project sheet ](https://business.ecotree.green/hubfs/ALL_MKT_TwoPagers_2025/ALL_MKT_TwoPagers_Biodiversity/ecotree-wetland-briec-en.pdf) ![Restored wetland pond at Lange Beemden, Belgium, surrounded by autumn vegetation.](https://img.ecotree.green/flora/ground-view/lange-beemden-01.jpg?d=240x135) #### Lange Beemden Target: 19.000 m³ of water retained 67,000 m² project area Wetland restoration Vlaanderen, Belgium [ View project sheet ](https://business.ecotree.green/hubfs/ALL_MKT_TwoPagers_2025/ALL_MKT_TwoPagers_Biodiversity/ecotree-peatland-resoration-lange-beemden-en.pdf) ![Two people on a wetland site visit, one pointing across the grassland.](https://img.ecotree.green/humans/team-ecotree/lange-beemde-be-wetland-site-visit-01.jpg?d=240x135) #### Looking for a project near you? Close to your locations Tailored to your water challenges Selected by our experts Under the Act4Water standard [ Request a project ](https://ecotree.green/en/companies/form/water-contact) ### 1 CAP = 1,000 m³ of freshwater saved or restored Each Positive **Water Credit** measures the water a project returns to the natural cycle: more water held in soils and aquifers, or cleaner water that no longer needs diluting. #### Act4Water certification An international water benefit standard backed by the Water Footprint Network. Each project receives the Water+ label once verified. #### A recognised scientific method Our calculations follow the Water Footprint Assessment Manual, the methodological reference for water footprint accounting. #### Independently verified An accredited third party, such as DNV, audits each project before certification. You do not have to take our word for it. #### A standard tested on 15 Act4Water projects In Spain, the Netherlands, South Africa, Ethiopia, Palestine, and Indonesia. ![Woman holding a handful of wet sphagnum moss dripping with water](https://img.ecotree.green/humans/closeup/lange-beemde-be-hands-wet-sphagnum-moss-01.jpg?d=240x135) ### The business case for investing in water restoration For companies in water-intensive sectors such as data centres and food and beverage, water is now a reporting and client question as well as an environmental one. Water stress already affects around 30% of EU territory every year, according to the European Environment Agency. Here is what certified **water credits** can bring your business: #### Securing water resources for local communities By funding wetland restoration and water retention projects, companies help recharge groundwater and stabilise the local water cycle. #### Better resilience against drought and flooding Restored wetlands help soils absorb both drought and heavy rainfall, which can reduce the risk of flooding and water shortages. Restored peatlands also keep carbon stored in their soils. #### Credible ESG reporting Supporting measured water restoration gives customers, employees, partners and key accounts something concrete to look at, while helping you respond to frameworks such as ESRS E3. ### How we work together ### How we work together #### We help you align your investments with your ESG strategy Tell us about your water objectives and we will look at how they can fit your wider sustainability strategy, whether you report under ESRS E3 or are responding to client requests. #### We recommend a water restoration plan tailored to your needs Based on your company's needs, we identify the most relevant water restoration project, from peatland and riparian woodland to wetland restoration, in a location that matches your impact priorities. You'll receive a detailed, tailored quote. #### We provide you with all the KPIs and communication materials Once your investment is confirmed, you receive a contribution certificate, key performance indicators and communication materials to help you share your contribution with stakeholders. **Water credits** (CAPs) are issued as the benefit is measured. ![Two EcoTree team members looking out over a flooded wetland](https://img.ecotree.green/humans/team-ecotree/lange-beemde-be-team-pond-01.jpg?d=128x128) ### Your company's actions benefit from advantages: #### A certificate of contribution (CAP) Once the restoration work begins, your company will receive a certificate. #### Track the projects From your online account, you can follow the projects you have invested in. #### Measurable data You receive verified data and KPIs you can use in your non-financial reporting. #### Communication & events You get access to communication materials and invitations to planned project visits. ### Frequently asked questions on water restoration #### What is a water credit, or CAP? A Positive **Water Credit** (CAP) represents 1,000 m³ of freshwater footprint saved or restored, co-benefits included. There are two types. A consumptive CAP reflects a gain in quantity: water retained, infiltrated or made available. A degradative CAP reflects a gain in quality: the volume of water no longer needed to dilute pollution. #### Are water credits issued before or after the work is completed? **Water credits** (CAPs) are issued ex post, in line with the benefit actually measured in the field, and not ex ante on the basis of a projection. Each project is backed by field monitoring and an annual monitoring report, and any gap between forecast and measured results must be justified. #### Why restore wetlands rather than take action elsewhere? Wetlands regulate floods, sustain river flows in dry periods and filter water naturally. Around 40% of the world's plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands, and peatlands, which cover around 3% of the Earth's land, store roughly twice as much carbon as all its forests combined. Yet around 35% of the world's wetlands have been lost since 1970. [Read our white paper on the importance of wetland ecosystems](https://ecotree.green/en/company/resources/white-paper/wetland-restoration-why-businesses-should-invest-in-nature-preservation). #### How does a water credit fit into my company's non-financial reporting? Corporate water footprints are **measured in m³ under [ISO 14046](https://www.iso.org/standard/43263.html)**, the same unit as the CAP: 1 CAP equals 1,000 m³. You can therefore set the restored volume alongside the volume you withdraw and consume. Under the CSRD, if water is material under ESRS E3, you disclose your water volumes as gross figures, and **water credits** are reported separately rather than subtracted. Outside CSRD scope, the same data gives you a documented answer to supplier questionnaires from large clients. #### Who verifies and certifies water credits (CAPs)? **Water credits** (CAPs) are issued under Act4Water, an international water benefit standard launched in April 2025. Its scientific basis is the Water Footprint Assessment Manual (Hoekstra et al., 2011). EcoTree develops and delivers each project and calculates its impact. An accredited third party (DNV, or another body depending on location) then audits the report and calculations. Act4Water approves the project, issues the CAPs, records them in its registry and awards the Water+ label. #### What are the co-benefits of water restoration, and why are they capped? Water restoration projects also bring wider environmental, social and economic benefits, such as local biodiversity, natural habitats, job creation and environmental education. These are assessed through 18 indicators across three categories, each scored from 1 to 5. The Act4Water standard caps their contribution at 15% of the credits, so water always remains the primary benefit. #### Why should companies act on water now? Water is moving up the reporting agenda. The Global Commission on the Economics of Water estimates that water stress could reduce GDP by 8% in high-income countries by 2050, and by up to 15% in lower-income countries. In Europe, floods have caused an average of €6.5 billion in economic losses a year since 1980 (EEA), and large clients increasingly ask suppliers about water in their questionnaires. #### What is the difference between a CAP and a Carbon offset? A water credit measures a volume of water, not tonnes of CO₂. The two are complementary but distinct: one project can generate both CAPs under Act4Water and carbon credits when hydrological restoration avoids carbon being re-released. The Briec peatland in Brittany, France, is one example: Over 30 years, restoring 6.5 ha of peat is expected to store around 58,500 m³ of water (about 61 CAPs) and avoid the re-release of around 1,950 tCO2e under France's Label Bas-Carbone. ### Take the next step in your water strategy Our team is ready to help you find the certified water credits that fit your business objectives. [ Contact us ](https://ecotree.green/en/companies/form/water-contact) ### Added. You're supporting Europe's forests Together with 100,000+ tree owners across the globe [ Give it as a gift ](https://ecotree.green/en/give-a-gift) [ Go to cart ](https://ecotree.green/en/basket) Continue shopping