What eva foundation does

eva foundation (legal entities: Ecosystem Value Alliance Foundation in Bonn and operating company eva service GmbH in Halle (Saale)) is a German nonprofit-backed organization founded in 2021 that operates the Wald-Klimastandard (Forest Climate Standard), a TUV-audited certification framework for generating high-integrity forest carbon credits from German and European forests. The organization serves two primary customer segments: forest owners (supply side), who apply the standard to calamity-area reforestation, pure-stand conversion, or climate-optimized forest management projects and earn additional capital from voluntary carbon markets; and corporate buyers (demand side), who purchase eva-Zertifikate to meet voluntary emissions targets aligned with CSRD and SBTi reporting frameworks. Supporting infrastructure includes the eva-Impact Registry for fraud-proof certificate tracking, a certification platform for project workflows, a proprietary Baseline Tool and Digital Forest Twin for MRV, and a 15% Permanence Buffer to insure against natural risks.

The standard is administered under a multi-stakeholder governance model anchored by the Wald-Klimarat (Forest Climate Council) and Technical Committee, with representation from forestry, science and technology, public/civil society, and market actors. Three methodologies sit under the standard: Wald-Wiederaufbau (forest reforestation), Waldumbau (forest conversion, co-developed with Pina Earth), and OCELL (climate-optimized forest management). Approximately 75,000 certificates were generated during the pilot phase, with 79 iterative adjustments made between pilot v0.4.3 and the full v1.0 release in October 2023. In January 2026, eva-Zertifikate received ICROA Conditional Endorsement, the highest international voluntary carbon market quality recognition, positioning the organization for European and cross-border corporate demand.

eva generates revenue through two streams: transaction-linked certificate sales to corporate buyers (with 15% of certificates retained in the Permanence Buffer) and certification fees paid by project developers under an internal fee schedule (Gebuehrenordnung). Distribution is direct via the certification platform and stakeholder managers rather than a public marketplace. The organization is small (13 employees) and unfunded by disclosed external capital, operating under a foundation + service GmbH structure; no venture capital or private equity funding is mentioned in available data.

Name

eva foundation

Legal name

eva service GmbH

Website

https://eva.eco

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

eva foundation operates the Wald-Klimastandard, a TUV-audited Forest Climate Standard certifying German and European forest projects under three methodologies, issuing tradeable eva-Zertifikate to corporate buyers and additional income to forest owners across voluntary carbon and CSRD/SBTi markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Voluntary Carbon Market Certification

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Accounting, Verification & Registry Services (MRV, Audits, Certification) (IMAMAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (IMAMAJAJ), Carbon & Climate-Aligned Forest Certification Add-ons (e.g., FSC Ecosystem Services, climate modules) (AFAMALAH), Regulatory & Disclosure Strategy (CSRD/ESRS, ISSB/IFRS S2, SEC, TCFD) (EUABAKAH)

Keywords

• Forest carbon certification
• Voluntary carbon markets
• Carbon offset certificates
• Climate project certification
• Forest climate standard

Headquarters

HQ city

Halle (Saale)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. eva Certificates (Klimazertifikate): Forest owners earn additional capital on the voluntary emissions market by certifying their forest climate projects under the eva Forest Climate Standard. Companies purchase eva certificates to support high-quality, account-able climate protection projects and meet voluntary emissions targets (e.g., CSRD, SBTi). The Permanence Buffer is funded by retaining 15% of all generated certificates.
2. Certification Fees: Project developers pay certification fees under the fee schedule (Gebuehrenordnung) to have their forest climate projects audited and certified under the Wald-Klimastandard.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

eva foundation develops and operates the Wald-Klimastandard (Forest Climate Standard), a TUV-audited certification framework for forest climate protection projects in Germany and Europe. It issues tradeable eva-Zertifikate (carbon offset certificates) generated through three methodologies — forest reforestation (Wald-Wiederaufbau), forest conversion (Waldumbau, with Pina Earth), and climate-optimized forest management (OCELL) — and tracks them through the eva-Impact Registry digital platform. Its offerings are aimed at forest owners (project developers) and corporate buyers seeking verifiable, regionally anchored climate certificates for voluntary emissions targets such as CSRD and SBTi.

Product overview

eva foundation operates a multi-product ecosystem centered on the Wald-Klimastandard (Forest Climate Standard), a quality standard framework for German and European forests. The core offerings include eva-Zertifikate — tradeable carbon offset certificates generated through three methodologies (Wald-Wiederaufbau for afforestation, Waldumbau for forest conversion developed with Pina Earth, and OCELL for climate-optimized forest management) — supported by the digital eva-Impact Registry platform for certificate tracking and the Zertifizierungsplattform for end-to-end certification workflows. Governance is provided through the Wald-Klimarat multi-stakeholder forum and a Technisches Komitee, with a Permanenz-Puffer (15% permanence buffer) managing climate performance risk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wald-Klimastandard: Forest Climate Standard developed for areas in Germany, a quality standard for climate protection projects in German and European forests
• eva-Zertifikate
• eva-Impact Registry
• Wald-Klimarat

Products and services

• Wald-Klimastandard (Forest Climate Standard) Quality certification standard for forest climate protection projects developed for areas in Germany, serving as the overarching framework for multiple certification methodologies including afforestation, forest conversion, and climate-optimized forest management.
• eva-Zertifikate (eva Certificates) Tradeable carbon offset certificates representing the climate performance of German forests certified under the Wald-Klimastandard, enabling companies to support high-quality, verifiable climate protection projects and meet CSRD and SBTi reporting requirements.
• Wald-Wiederaufbau (Forest Reforestation) Method Method under the Wald-Klimastandard for afforesting calamity areas, allowing forest owners to generate eva certificates through reforestation.
• Waldumbau (Forest Conversion) Method Method developed together with Pina Earth for converting pure forest stands into structurally diverse mixed forests, aiming to increase commercial forest resilience to climate change.
• Klimaoptimiertes Forstbetriebsmanagement (OCELL) Method Climate-optimized forest management method (OCELL) for optimizing existing forest management practices to enhance climate performance.
• eva-Impact Registry Digital platform providing tamper-proof documentation and TUV-certified tracking of all eva certificates, enabling buyers and sellers to conduct secure certificate transactions with transparent, real-time visibility of available and retired certificates, including project geodata and silvicultural concepts.
• Zertifizierungsplattform (Certification Platform) Digital certification platform supporting the end-to-end certificate issuance process, including project registration, monitoring, reporting, and verification workflows, with offline functionality for on-site audits.
• Certification Services (Gebuehrenordnung) Project developers pay certification fees under the published fee schedule (Gebuehrenordnung) to have their forest climate projects audited and certified under the Wald-Klimastandard.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15% Permanence Buffer from all certificates protects against natural risks and ensures long-term climate impact.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pina EarthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023eva collaborates with Pina Earth and the Wald-Klimarat to develop the forest conversion method (Methode 02 Waldumbau) under the Wald-Klimastandard. This method enables the transformation of pure forest stands into structurally diverse mixed forests to increase climate resilience. Pina Earth leads the method development with scientific rigor and public consultation.
• ForliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerForliance developed the Baseline Tool used in the Wald-Klimastandard for forest reforestation projects. The tool models potential carbon sequestration in project areas assuming no human intervention, and is a key component of the standard's methodology. Forliance also contributed to the C-property (carbon ownership) study under public consultation.
• Redeker (Law Firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedeker law firm provided a legal opinion on the marketability of forest carbon sequestration and carbon property rights in Germany, and on subsidy law classification of climate certificate revenues. These studies were part of the Wald-Klimastandard public consultation process in 2021.
• TUV Nord Cert GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTUV Nord Cert GmbH serves as a certification body for the Wald-Klimastandard. Their representatives participated in the pilot phase, conducted audits, and provided feedback for standard improvement. TUV Nord is represented in the Technical Committee by Alexandra Nuske.
• TUV Rheinland Energy & Environment GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTUV Rheinland Energy & Environment GmbH serves as a certification body for the Wald-Klimastandard. Katharina Reisert represents TUV Rheinland in the Wald-Klimarat.
• HOFOS OldershausenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOFOS Oldershausen (represented by Jan Muller-Thomsen) was a pilot partner in the forest reforestation method's trial phase, providing practical feedback on the certification platform and process.
• Waldkonzepte PartGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWaldkonzepte PartG (represented by Christian Stuhlmann) participated as a pilot partner in the trial phase, providing feedback on platform usability and serving as a project manager supporting smaller private forest owners.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Verra: Verra runs the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the world's largest voluntary carbon market program with significant forestry (REDD+) methodologies and a public registry. Like eva, Verra issues certified carbon credits and operates a registry for tracking, but at global scale and with broader sector coverage.
• Gold Standard: Gold Standard certifies high-integrity carbon credits with methodologies covering land use and forestry (e.g., ARR projects). It is a direct competitor to eva in the voluntary carbon market, with a similar focus on additionality, permanence, and third-party verification, though operating globally rather than regionally.
• Plan Vivo: Plan Vivo is a certification standard for ecosystem-service projects including forestry and agroforestry, issuing carbon certificates to communities and landowners. It is closely comparable to eva in scope (forest/land carbon, community forest owners) and in offering a long-term, verified voluntary carbon product.
• Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC): PEFC is the other major global forest certification scheme, with national member systems covering most European countries including Germany. PEFC overlaps with eva on sustainable forest management standards and competes for the same forest-owner and corporate-buyer mindshare in the DACH region.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): FSC is the world's leading forest certification standard for sustainable forest management and chain-of-custody. FSC has launched ecosystem-services and climate modules (FSC Climate) that overlap directly with eva's Wald-Klimastandard, and competes for the same corporate buyers seeking forest-related ESG claims.

Broad incumbents

• Climate Action Reserve: Climate Action Reserve operates the largest U.S. voluntary carbon market registry with forestry (IFM) protocols. It is a broader incumbent than eva, with a wider portfolio of carbon protocols and a more mature institutional buyer base, but a U.S.-centric scope that limits direct overlap in Europe.
• American Carbon Registry: American Carbon Registry (Winrock International) develops and manages carbon-credit methodologies and registers issuances, including forestry protocols. It is a broad incumbent in the voluntary carbon space with comparable registry and verification infrastructure to eva, though focused on U.S. projects.

Emerging players

• Pina Earth: Pina Earth is a Munich-based forest carbon platform that co-developed the Waldumbau (forest conversion) method with eva. While currently a strategic partner, Pina Earth also operates its own forest-carbon product for corporate buyers, making it both an ally and a partial competitor in the German forest-carbon market.
• Fairventures Worldwide: Fairventures Worldwide is a German/European NGO that develops reforestation projects with carbon-financing components in tropical and temperate regions. It overlaps with eva on forest climate projects and corporate carbon-credit offerings, but focuses more on project development than standard-setting.

Others

• Forliance: Forliance is a German carbon project developer that built the Baseline Tool used in eva's Wald-Wiederaufbau methodology. As an ecosystem participant — and developer of its own carbon projects — Forliance is comparable to eva as a forestry carbon services provider, though it acts more as a partner/supplier than a direct competing standard-setter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/711948750
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecosystem-value-alliance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about eva foundation