Lango Safe Water Carbon Project (Uganda)
Retire verified Gold Standard carbon credits from this project to compensate measured emissions.
This page is for companies looking to retire Gold Standard–certified safe-water carbon credits with verified gender-equality outcomes. Lango, run by CO2balance, was the first project ever certified under Gold Standard's Gender Responsive framework (2020) — the highest gender designation in the voluntary carbon market. Evertreen acts as an intermediary: we source and retire these credits on your behalf and do not own or operate the project. One credit = one tonne of CO₂e, an independently verified estimate.
At a Glance
- Project type: Safe water — borehole rehabilitation
- Standard: Gold Standard + Gender Responsive (first-ever, 2020)
- Location: Lango sub-region, rural Uganda
- Developer: CO2balance
- Scale: ~50,000 tCO₂e/yr · 40,000+ people with clean water
- Time saved: ~4 hours/household/week (19% over baseline)
- SDGs: 3, 5 (verified), 6, 13
- Evertreen's role: Intermediary — credit retirement available through Evertreen (we do not own or operate the project)
Who this project is for
Sustainability and procurement leads — especially those with gender-focused ESG commitments — who want safe-water credits with rigorously assessed gender-equality outcomes.
What Lango Safe Water is
The Lango Safe Water Project, developed by CO2balance in rural Uganda, rehabilitates broken community boreholes to provide safe drinking water, avoiding the need to boil water with firewood. It reduces roughly 50,000 tonnes of CO₂e a year, gives 40,000+ people clean-water access, and saves nearly four hours per household per week on water collection (a 19% improvement over baseline), benefitting mostly women and girls and reducing school absenteeism from waterborne disease. In 2020 it became the first project certified under Gold Standard's Gender Responsive framework.
What a carbon credit from this project represents
One credit = one tonne of CO₂e. A verified carbon credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent removed or avoided, independently verified under the Gold Standard. CO₂ figures are estimates based on the project’s methodology, not exact measurements.
How it is certified and tracked
Lango is Gold Standard certified and was the first project certified under Gold Standard's Gender Responsive framework (2020), meaning its gender-equality outcomes were rigorously assessed rather than self-declared. Each issued credit carries a unique serial number and is retired in the Gold Standard Impact Registry when claimed. (Confirm the current vintage and status on the Gold Standard registry before purchase.)
How double counting is prevented
Each credit has a unique serial number and is retired only once in the Gold Standard Impact Registry when it is claimed, so the same tonne of CO₂e cannot be sold or counted twice.
Why this is a high-quality carbon project
- Gold Standard certified and independently verified
- First-ever Gold Standard Gender Responsive certification (2020)
- Gender outcomes rigorously assessed, not just claimed
- Clear, measured time-saving and health benefits
- Particularly strong fit for gender-focused ESG mandates
Evertreen’s role
Evertreen acts as an intermediary for this project. We source Gold Standard credits from Lango Safe Water and retire them on your behalf. Evertreen does not own or operate the project. Credits are independently verified estimates of CO₂e and complement — they do not replace — reducing your own emissions.
What your company can claim
After Evertreen retires Lango Safe Water credits on your behalf, your organisation can state that it has retired verified Gold Standard carbon credits to compensate a measured quantity of CO₂e, supported by the retirement documentation we provide. We do not overstate permanence or additionality, and present credits as a complement to cutting your own emissions.
Frequently asked questions
What is a carbon credit?
A verified carbon credit represents one tonne of CO₂e reduced or removed. Retiring it lets you compensate a measured quantity of your emissions. Credits are estimates based on an approved methodology.
Is Lango Safe Water Gold Standard certified?
Yes — Gold Standard certified, and the first-ever project certified under Gold Standard's Gender Responsive framework (2020).
How is it verified and is double counting prevented?
It is independently verified under the Gold Standard; each credit has a unique serial number and is retired once in the Gold Standard Impact Registry, so the same tonne can’t be counted twice.
What can my company claim after retirement?
That it retired verified Gold Standard credits to compensate measured CO₂e. Credits complement, and do not replace, reducing your own emissions.
Does Evertreen own the project?
No. The project is run by CO2balance. Evertreen is an intermediary that sources and retires the credits on your behalf.
What are the co-benefits?
Safe drinking water for 40,000+ people, ~4 hours/week saved on water collection (mostly for women and girls), reduced school absenteeism, and verified gender-equality outcomes.
Retire Lango Safe Water credits. Tell us the tonnes of CO₂e you need to compensate and Evertreen will source and retire Gold Standard credits on your behalf.
- Gold Standard certified
- Gender Responsive (first-ever)
- Retired on your behalf
- Evertreen acts as intermediary
Reviewed by Evertreen. Last updated: June 2026.
Sources: Gold Standard Marketplace — Lango Gender Responsive Safe Water, Gold Standard. Photo: Mozerayayena (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons).
Part of Evertreen’s Verified Carbon Credits for Business.
