Act4Water is formalising DNV as an authorised verification body for certifications under its standard for water positive projects and organisations. The agreement, signed in Barcelona, aims to scale up the certification of entities committed to caring for freshwater resources. The independent verification process ensures that, before receiving certification under this standard, the results presented are measurable, traceable and aligned with recognised scientific methodologies.
Act4Water certifies the impact of local initiatives that improve the quantity and quality of water resources, such as wetland restoration or aquifer recharge. DNV will help verify the translation of these impacts into Water Credits, also known as Credits Aqua Positive (CAPs), the unit of measurement for positive water impact under the Act4Water Standard.
Each CAP represents 1,000 m³ of water footprint saved for the basin, reflecting an improvement in the availability or quality of the resource compared with a starting point. Verification ensures that results are communicated on a scientific basis, following recognised methodologies such as the Water Footprint Network (WFN) Water Footprint and the water footprint standard ISO 14046.
Projects already verified in Spain by DNV under the Act4Water Standard include the restoration of the Doñana lagoons, driven by Heineken; the construction of an artificial wetland in Viladesuso, developed by Veolia together with Hijos de Rivera; and the promotion of reclaimed water in banana farming in Tenerife, led by Teidagua.
Transparency in corporate water footprint management
For companies, the Act4Water Standard provides a certification framework that recognises efforts to understand and mitigate their water impacts, in collaboration with the value chain and addressing the water footprint that cannot be reduced through water compensation projects. DNV will verify that companies carry out this process under the methodological framework of the Act4Water Standard.
In this area, DNV has already backed the certification of BBVA as a Water Committed company, the first level of Act4Water’s Water Positive certification for organisations committed to sustainable water management and their corporate water footprint.
“Independent verification is what turns a commitment into a guarantee.” Juan Andrés Salido, DNV
Juan Andrés Salido, a DNV representative, noted that “independent verification is what turns a commitment into a guarantee. As verifiers at Act4Water, we will help more projects and organisations demonstrate that their positive impact on water is real and measurable.”
Regulatory compliance and ESG value
Assessment and a declaration of conformity by an independent third party make regulatory compliance easier in an increasingly demanding context. European directives such as the CSRD or Green Claims require rigorous reporting, including metrics on sustainable water use and its impact on global supply chains.
Act4Water’s official certification marks, backed by DNV’s independent verification, make it easier to meet these regulatory frameworks and strengthen organisations’ ESG performance in the eyes of investors, partners and consumers.
Desirée Marín, Strategic Committee Lead of Act4Water, states that “sustainability regulation leaves no room for ambiguity. Organisations must report their environmental impacts with verifiable data or take on legal and reputational risks. The alliance with DNV strengthens our mission to offer a certification standard with the independence and rigour that the regulatory context and the planet demand”.
