CDM Standards for Carbon Credits - Gold Standards

» Gold Standard for the Global Goals – Principles & Requirements

This document provides the mandatory Principles & Requirements that apply to projects (and, where relevant, programmes/PoAs and VPAs) seeking certification under GS4GG. It defines the certification outcomes, baseline requirements for eligibility, the five core principles, the project cycle and timing, documentation rules, and the non-conformity response process.

Effective date, scope, applicability

Effective date: GS4GG (as referenced in this Principles & Requirements document) is effective for projects seeking Gold Standard certification as of 05 December 2024; projects applying earlier versions are directed to transition requirements.

Scope: The Principles & Requirements apply to all Project Developers and the Projects or Programmes for which Gold Standard certification is sought, and they are also the requirements against which Gold Standard Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) validate/verify projects (alongside VVB requirements and conformity criteria). A note clarifies that “Projects” is used for brevity and may be read as projects, programmes, or interventions unless stated otherwise.

Applicability and rule maintenance:

• Projects must apply the Principles & Requirements and any associated documents, and must also apply Activity Requirements for the relevant project type (or default to this document where no activity requirements exist).

• Gold Standard may issue updates/clarifications/corrections published on its website with implementation dates; it is the project developer’s responsibility to stay up to date (including checking rule updates).

• Stakeholders may propose updates via email; Gold Standard may accept/reject at its discretion.

• In some cases, modules/elements from other standards (e.g., Fairtrade, FSC, CDM) may be accepted as evidence to demonstrate conformity to certain Gold Standard requirements, while Gold Standard requirements still apply.
• Interpretation is anchored to the core principles of fairness, reliability, conservativeness, pragmatism

Certification types

This section explains the major GS4GG certification outcomes and explicitly notes it should be read with the Claims Guidelines for how certification status and impact certification may be communicated.

Gold Standard Certified Project Design (Design Certification)

A project achieves Gold Standard Certified Project Design by successfully undergoing Validation and Design Review (Design Certification). This means:

• The project design and planning meet GS4GG requirements including safeguarding principles, stakeholder consultation & engagement, SDG requirements, and a compliant monitoring plan has been developed.

• The design, monitoring plan and ex-ante impact assessment have been validated by an accredited, approved third-party VVB.

• The project is reviewed by Gold Standard and is subject to overarching independent review by the TAC and NGO supporters.

• Critically: design certification does not mean or imply that impacts have been realised or will be realised, or that they have been verified/certified as achieved; performance certification is needed to certify realised impacts.

Bold clarity statement (from the meaning of design certification): Design certification confirms compliant design and ex-ante assessment, not achieved outcomes.

Gold Standard Certified Project (Performance Certification)

A project achieves Gold Standard Certified Project by undergoing Verification and performance review (Performance Certification). This means:

• The project followed the approved monitoring plan and submitted monitoring report(s) for verification.

• The project and its certified SDG impacts have been validated/verified as required by an accredited, approved VVB.

• Gold Standard review occurs, plus overarching independent review by TAC/NGO supporters.

• Any certified SDG impacts claimed as achieved are real (i.e., verified).

• A project may be issued certified impact statements/products such as Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (VERs)—subject to performance certification and conformance to the applicable impact quantification methodology and product requirements.

• The project may promote claims in accordance with the Claims Guidelines.

Additionally, all projects from Listed status and beyond (including certified impact statements/products) are captured on the Gold Standard Impact Registry and are publicly available.

Stacking

“Stacking” refers to pursuing multiple certified impact statements or products from one project. It is allowed provided that:

• All requirements in the Principles & Requirements and relevant methodologies/product requirements are met; and the applicable methodology/product rules do not declare the combination ineligible.

• All necessary legal terms and conditions are fully executed and complied with; product requirements may impose product-specific legal documentation.

• Project developers and funders/buyers must follow the Claims Guidelines appropriate to the project’s status.

• A project design can be changed after design certification to include more certified impact statements/products (Annex A), but previous monitoring periods cannot be retroactively issued unless activity/product requirements allow.

General eligibility criteria

The general eligibility criteria apply to all projects seeking GS4GG certification and cover:

• Project type: eligible projects include physical on-the-ground action/implementation; pre-identified eligible project types are described later in eligibility principles/requirements.

• Location: projects may be located anywhere globally.

• Area/boundary/scale: project area and boundary must be defined; projects can be any scale, though specific activity/methodology/product requirements may impose additional rules or limits.

• Double counting avoidance: to avoid double counting, a project must not be included in another voluntary or compliance standards programme unless approved (e.g., via dual certification). If project areas overlap with another GS or other programme, the project must demonstrate no double counting of impacts at design and performance certification (including risks from similar technology/practices leading to double counting or mis-estimation).

Eligibility principles and requirements (Principles 1–5)

The core of the standard is structured around five principles and their related requirements. The Table of Contents explicitly lists:

• Principle 1: Contribution to Climate Security & Sustainable Development

• Principle 2: Safeguarding Principles

• Principle 3: Stakeholder Inclusivity

• Principle 4: Demonstration of Real Outcomes

• Principle 5: Financial Additionality & Ongoing Financial Need

Below is a comprehensive section-by-section summary of what these principles require, based on the provided text excerpts.

Principle 1: Contribution to climate security and sustainable development (including SDG impacts)

Within the climate security and sustainable development requirements, projects must identify and demonstrate SDG impacts as intentional, direct effects (not one-off or only in construction/start-up/decommissioning). Projects identify SDG impacts by comparing the project scenario to baseline scenario(s), and must show positive effects beyond what would reasonably be expected in the baseline. Monitoring indicators/parameters and approaches must be defined in the PDD to inform future monitoring reports.

To demonstrate SDG impacts, the project may choose among options including:

• reviewing national SDG indicators/targets (or international versions if national are absent) and selecting relevant targets/indicators (or proposing justified indicators);

• following an approved SDG tool;

• following an approved methodology. Projects may submit methodologies for approval, and a project and methodology may be developed concurrently.

Expert stakeholder requirements for SDG impacts: some SDG impacts require expert stakeholder opinion and recommendation; which SDGs require this may be pre-identified in activity requirements and safeguarding requirements, and Gold Standard can require expert comment/adjustments to safeguard credibility. For new project types, this is decided prior to or during preliminary review; where required, the project developer must show that the expert confirmed the impact is real and that recommendations were considered and incorporated.

Principle 2: Safeguarding principles

Projects must undertake an upfront safeguarding assessment against the Gold Standard Safeguarding Principles & Requirements and implement the project accordingly. The safeguarding assessment and evidence of conformity must be included in the PDD and monitoring & reporting plan, including proposed monitoring parameters for requirements needing ongoing monitoring or reassessment. Monitoring reports must include reporting on safeguarding principles and associated monitoring parameters as applicable.

A number of safeguarding principles require the opinion and recommendations of an expert stakeholder, pre-identified in the safeguarding procedure and relevant activity requirements.

Bold compliance statement: Safeguarding conformity is not only assessed at design—monitoring reports must include safeguarding reporting where applicable.

Principle 3: Stakeholder inclusivity

Projects must identify and engage relevant stakeholders and seek expert stakeholder input where necessary in design, planning, and implementation. The design should reflect stakeholder views and inputs, and ongoing feedback must be sought, captured, and acted upon throughout project life.

The project must demonstrate: identification/engagement/consultation, records and positive influence on design, that concerns are addressed and disputes resolved, and that a system exists for ongoing capture/recording/response to concerns—documented in the PDD and monitoring plan.

The stakeholder consultation itself must be conducted in accordance with the principles in this section and the dedicated stakeholder consultation & engagement requirements (Document 102). It includes at minimum two rounds of consultation, including one mandatory physical meeting and one stakeholder feedback round lasting at least one month, open to anyone wishing to attend. The project developer must identify and inform local/affected/interested stakeholders including local/national authorities, the Gold Standard Secretariat, and Gold Standard NGO supporters active in the host country. Consultation must be conducted prior to project start date.

Principle 4: Demonstration of real outcomes

(Only partially visible in the excerpts provided.) In the overall structure, “Demonstration of Real Outcomes” is a core principle listed in the table of contents as part of the eligibility principles and requirements.

Where “real outcomes” are referenced explicitly in available text, the standard ties the certification of achieved impacts to Performance Certification, where certified SDG impacts claimed to have been achieved are considered real following verification and performance review.

Principle 5: Financial additionality & ongoing financial need

Projects that are required to demonstrate financial additionality must also demonstrate Ongoing Financial Need (OFN) at design certification renewal. OFN is demonstrated via a qualitative narrative supported by an overview of project finances, describing categories/amounts or proportions of income/outgoings (including certification costs and revenue proportions), and how finance derived from GS certification contributes to sustaining/enhancing the project. If no revenue is realised from GS certification during a given period, it would be considered a FAR for the next issuance (as stated in the excerpt)

Submission of OFN information is mandatory, validated by the VVB for accuracy, may remain confidential (not published) due to commercial sensitivity, and must satisfy OFN requirements without further information requests beyond clarification questions.

For projects seeking multiple certified impact statements/products (“stacking”), financial additionality must be demonstrated as above, and projects must provide qualitative, evidence-based justification of the need/value-add for each additional revenue stream.

The text also notes GS certification cycles are suitable for multi-phased programmes/PoAs and that PoAs must follow programme requirements; the requirements in this document apply for programmes where multiple activities occur over space/time.

Project cycle

GS4GG project certification is based on a five-year renewable certification cycle with key features:

• Listing is mandatory: projects must list by undertaking a preliminary review and uploading key project information and a draft stakeholder consultation report (first consultation round). The draft report must include consultation date, invited stakeholders, invitation method, information shared, and feedback received (minimum content specified). 

• After listing, projects may seek Design Certification by completing validation (within two years of listing) and design review. 

• Following design certification, projects enter a five-year renewable cycle; within each five-year period they must undergo Verification and Performance Review to achieve and maintain certified project status, and (where sought) issuance of certified impact statements/products. 

• To retain certified design status at year five, projects must undergo Design Certification Renewal updating information and baseline (unless activity/product requirements state otherwise). 

• The number of performance certifications per five-year cycle is not limited, but must occur at least once no later than two years after project implementation or design certification, whichever is later (and similar timing applies after design renewal). 

Additional project-cycle rules present in the excerpts:

• Transitioning projects maintaining an existing crediting cycle must undergo performance certification no later than the first two years after implementation or design certification (whichever later) and once every three years thereafter, unless the verifier justifies less frequent visits. 

• Retroactive design certification: retroactive projects must submit for preliminary review within one year of the project start date. Some methodologies/products may have different retroactive rules, including prior consideration requirements and maximum retroactive periods. 

• Combining design certification and first performance certification: project developers may combine design certification with first verification/performance review; VVB may combine site visits and submit positive validation and verification reports concurrently. Gold Standard then conducts a combined review (including two-week public consultation) and specifies a minimum design review duration (six weeks) in such cases. 

Annual reporting: Projects that have achieved design certification (or transitioned to GS4GG) must submit annual reports with transparent updates for each monitoring year where verification is not completed by end of the next calendar year; even if verification is in progress, the annual report is still required by year-end. Failure to provide annual reports results in de-certification. Annual reports are made publicly available and must include, among other items: summary of activities/events, how stakeholders provide inputs/grievances, list of inputs/grievances and responses/actions, incidents affecting outcomes/impacts (loss), legal disputes, updates to key project information/PDD/monitoring plan, monitoring information summary, and updates to participants/titles where relevant. The project developer must attest to accuracy by signature. Annual reporting is not certification nor design change approval; changes are reviewed at performance certification.

Project documentation and technical requirements

Projects must provide evidence of conformity using approved Gold Standard project templates (except supporting evidence/documents). Documentation requirements are specified by project stage:

• Preliminary Review: key project information; draft PDD including safeguarding assessment, SDG impacts identified and draft monitoring & reporting plan (if required); draft stakeholder consultation report; supporting evidence (maps/surveys/calculations); signed cover letter and terms & conditions. 

• Validation & Design Review: completed PDD including monitoring & reporting plan; fully completed stakeholder consultation report; validation report; any activity/context/methodology/product-specific documentation; supporting evidence. 

• Annual Reporting: completed annual report plus supporting evidence. 

• Verification & Performance Review: updates to key project information/PDD/monitoring plan; context/activity/methodology/product-specific documentation; verification report; supporting evidence (maps/surveys/calculations). 

Registry requirements include opening an account and submitting documentation and VVB reports to the registry.

The technical formatting rules for documentation in the excerpt include: language submission rules (English or another agreed language), numeric formatting (commas for thousands; point for decimals), unique IDs for pictures/graphs/tables, date format DD/MM/YYYY, and mapping requirements (project name, ID, legend, printing date, scale, north, GPS coordinate system and grid, infrastructure/rivers, and satellite/aerial image info).

Non-conformity

Projects must report any potential or actual non-conformity against requirements/guidelines/tools/methodologies immediately upon discovery and no later than 30 days after discovery. Non-conformities may also be submitted by any party at any time for review.

Gold Standard reviews the non-conformity and may commission independent investigation and expert peer review of recommended actions. During investigation, Gold Standard can suspend certification/registry activities including assignment/transfer/retirement of certified statements/products.

Gold Standard decides the response, which may include immediate rectification, suspension until rectification is verified, or removal of certified design status. Severity considerations include whether the issue is repeated/systematic/fundamental; whether it caused inappropriate certification decisions or over-issuance; duration/scale; endangerment of life/livelihoods/ecology/environment; and whether the project developer failed to notify, failed to limit damage, or attempted to cover up.

Annexes (Design change; Conflict and emergency zones)

Annex A – Design change approval procedure: the excerpt notes to refer to the Design Change Request Requirements and Procedures for the latest procedure and requirements.

Annex B – Conflict and emergency zones: identifies that some project developers face major challenges contracting VVBs for validation/verification of projects in conflict zones, refugee camps, or areas posing high risk to life/health, and the annex sets scope/applicability and approval procedures.

» Stakeholder Consultation & Engagement Requirements

This document sets the requirements for stakeholder consultation and engagement corresponding to the GS4GG Principles & Requirements and applies to all project activities for which a project developer (or CME for PoAs) seeks certification under GS4GG. It enters into force on 12 September 2022.

Definitions central to the consultation framework

Key definitions include:

• Expert stakeholder: individuals with specific expertise/knowledge about the organisation/process/activity/context; considered expert if they have over 10 years of relevant, context-specific professional/academic/practical experience (higher academic qualifications preferred but may be justified as not required).

• Marginalised individuals and groups: groups experiencing exclusion/discrimination and inability to participate fully (examples given include women, youth, poor communities, informal sector workers, ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, disabled/elderly people, and LGBTQ community members).

• Meaningful consultation: an ongoing, iterative, two-way process starting as early as possible, ensuring representation across stakeholder categories, being equitable and non-discriminatory (giving voice to poorer/vulnerable stakeholders), transparent and factual about scope and influence, encouraging feedback, based on prior disclosure of relevant objective information in accessible culturally appropriate formats, responding to feedback, free of manipulation/coercion/intimidation, and systematically documented with relevant aspects disclosed publicly.

• Relevant stakeholder: collective term for local, affected, interested, and expert stakeholders.

• Stakeholder consultation: broad term covering identification, engagement planning, disclosure, consultation/participation, monitoring, evaluation of feedback, and grievance addressing through project life.

Core consultation expectations (as reflected across GS4GG requirements)

In the Principles & Requirements document, stakeholder consultation under GS4GG must include at least two rounds, one mandatory physical meeting, and at least one month feedback round, open to anyone; stakeholders including authorities, GS Secretariat, and in-country NGO supporters must be informed; and it must occur before project start date.

Bold implementation expectation: Consultation is defined as a project-cycle process (ongoing and iterative), not a single event.

(Note: The full Stakeholder Consultation & Engagement document includes additional sections such as expert stakeholder engagement and PoA/VPA documentation per its table of contents excerpt.)

» Safeguarding Principles & Requirements

This safeguarding document recognises that climate and development projects are multi-dimensional and can create environmental, social, and economic impacts, so safeguards must be established to identify and mitigate potential negative impacts at the right moment. It outlines the process for assessing projects against safeguarding principles.

Publication date: 29/06/2023; Version: 2.1; next planned update 18/06/2025.

Scope and applicability

Safeguards are presented as necessary because interventions are not one-dimensional; credible safeguards help identify/prevent/mitigate negative unintended consequences, ensure development outcomes are not undermined, and help gain public support for climate action. The safeguarding principles are derived from multiple international frameworks (UNDP SES 2021; UNEP framework 2020; IFC performance standard 2021; FAO framework 2022).

The document outlines overarching safeguarding principles (Table 1) and requirements that an activity must meet throughout the entire project cycle, guiding project developers to identify/evaluate risks and adverse outcomes and adopt mitigation strategies to avoid or minimise risks.

Entry into force

Version 2.1 enters into force 90 days after publication date, i.e., 29 September 2023. Full compliance is required for activities where the contract between VVB and project developer/CME is signed on/after entry into force; projects listed after entry into force must follow these requirements; voluntary early application is allowed after publication.

Safeguarding principles (Table 1)

Nine principles are listed:

• Social: (1) Human Rights; (2) Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment; (3) Community Health and Safety; (4) Cultural Heritage, Indigenous Peoples, Displacement and Resettlement; (5) Corruption

• Economic: (6) Economic Impacts

• Environmental/Ecological: (7) Climate and Energy; (8) Water; (9) Environment, Ecology and Land Use

Requirements (Section 4): general obligations, expert stakeholders, evidence

General requirements (4.1)

All GS4GG activities (projects/PoAs/VPAs) must:

• undertake an upfront safeguarding assessment and implement in accordance with safeguarding requirements;

• include measures to minimise/address negative impacts in validated design documents prior to design certification;

• provide information in monitoring reports at each verification on measures implemented and risk status;

• report any grievances related to compliance and safeguarding principles registered at any point during project cycle.

Projects must comply with applicable national law (including host country obligations under international law); where host country requirements differ from this document, the more stringent requirements apply. The safeguarding assessment applies to the project scenario, while questions/requirements involve comparisons to baseline scenario(s) and/or implementation/decommissioning phases. Failure to complete the assessment or nonconformity with requirements/monitoring & reporting triggers the non-conformity section of the Principles & Requirements.

Expert stakeholder requirements (4.2)

Several safeguarding principles require independent expert stakeholder opinion and recommendations, identified throughout safeguarding requirements and/or activity requirements. Where applicable, the project must demonstrate the expert stakeholder conducted thorough review (and onsite visit if needed) and that recommendations were incorporated into design. Expert stakeholders are appointed by the project developer/representative, and a signed conflict-of-interest statement is required.

Supporting documents and public disclosure (4.3)

Evidence to demonstrate compliance must be provided to the validating/verifying body; it can take many forms (e.g., EIA using national/international standards). Supporting documents/evidence must be available to Gold Standard as required by findings raised during design/performance review, and must be publicly available on the Impact Registry except confidential information (redacted versions must be provided where confidentiality applies).

Assessment procedure (Section 5) and exceptions (Section 6)

The safeguarding assessment procedure includes principles, assessment questions, and requirements. It is mandatory to answer all questions, demonstrate compliance with all principles/requirements, and report any grievances registered at any point in the project cycle. Annex 1 provides a non-exhaustive list of questions.

Exceptions to a principle/requirement may be sought in certain circumstances; Gold Standard encourages understanding and demonstrating trade-offs. If unavoidable negative impacts exceed requirements and cannot be remediated, a deviation request may be submitted and reviewed by a panel including Gold Standard Secretariat, at least two third-party expert stakeholders, and a TAC member; the panel recommends whether exception should be accepted; final decision by Gold Standard.

Principle-by-principle requirements (P.1–P.9) — main sections

P.1 Human rights

Gold Standard recognises human rights centrality and does not recognise/support activities contributing to violations of state obligations and core human rights treaties; it upholds accountability, rule of law, participation/inclusion, equality and non-discrimination, and recognises the right to development and self-determination. Requirements include that the project developer/representatives/project respect internationally proclaimed human rights and are not complicit in violence/abuses (UDHR), do not discriminate in participation/inclusion, and do not undermine measures for realising the right to development.

P.2 Gender equality and women’s empowerment

Gold Standard promotes gender equality and empowerment of women, does not recognise activities contributing to discrimination/inequalities, and links to SDG 5 and the Gender Equality Requirements Guidelines. Requirements include that the activity must not reinforce gender-based discrimination or lead to adverse impacts on gender equality/women’s situation; this includes risks of GBV/sexual exploitation/trafficking, slavery/coercion, increased women’s work burden/time poverty, restrictions to rights/resources, and supporting women’s ownership rights where possible. Projects must apply non-discrimination, equal treatment, equal pay for equal work, enable equitable participation, not limit participation based on pregnancy/maternity/paternity/marital status, and communicate objectives in locally appropriate ways to both women and men, ensuring engagement through project cycle. Projects must refer to national gender strategy/equivalent commitment, and Gold Standard may require expert stakeholder input based on responses.

P.3 Community health and safety

Gold Standard requires anticipating/avoiding adverse impacts to affected community health and safety during project life cycle, and requires safe and healthy working conditions for workers. Requirements include avoiding community exposure to increased health risks/disease and not adversely affecting workers/community health; references include differentiated exposure and higher sensitivity of marginalised groups and communities in voluntary isolation.

P.4 Cultural heritage, indigenous peoples, displacement and resettlement (and land tenure)

Key requirements shown include:

• where physical/economic displacement occurs, the project must integrate resettlement and/or livelihood action plans aligned with international best practice and developed in full consultation/agreement with affected people; expert stakeholder recommendations must be sought and included.

• land tenure: identify sites/matters affecting tenure rights (reform/regularisation/registration etc) and respect/safeguard legal/customary rights and special cultural/ecological/economic/religious/spiritual significance; legal changes must follow law and resolve disputes prior to project; changes must be agreed with FPIC; uncontested land title across project boundary is required to complete design certification; expert stakeholder opinions/recommendations must be sought and included; and a grievance mechanism must exist.

• indigenous peoples: identify all indigenous communities in area of influence that may be affected; conduct environmental and social analysis including impacts on rights, lands, territories, gender relations and resources; project must not cause forced eviction; and must recognise/respect collective rights to own/use/develop/control traditionally owned/occupied/used lands/resources/territories.

P.5 Corruption

Listed as a safeguarding principle section; the excerpted table of contents indicates a dedicated principle on corruption.

P.6 Economic impacts

Listed as a dedicated principle section.

P.7 Climate and energy

Listed as a dedicated principle section.

P.8 Water

Listed as a dedicated principle section.

P.9 Environment, ecology and land use

Listed as a dedicated principle section.

(Annex 1 contains safeguarding assessment questions, including detailed question checklists such as those shown for gender equality.)

» Gender Equality Requirements & Guidelines

This guideline document defines requirements and practical guidance for Gender Sensitive and (where sought) Gender Responsive certification within GS4GG. It includes VVB requirements and annex resources, and clarifies that gender responsive certification is linked to claiming certified SDG impacts under SDG 5 and other gender-related SDGs.

Structure and definitions

The table of contents shows: scope/applicability; requirements (gender sensitive with steps 1–3; gender responsive with steps 4–5); requirements for VVB; guidelines (with detailed guidance for each step); and annexes including “What are gender indicators?” and resources/tools.

Definitions include terms such as agency, empowerment (with five components), gender, gender equality, gender equity, gender responsive, gender sensitive, and social inclusion, with sources drawn/adapted from GCF gender policy and GEF annex.

Scope and applicability

All GS4GG activities (projects, PoAs, VPAs) must demonstrate compliance with:

• Gender Sensitive certification requirements (section 2.1), and

• Gender Responsive certification requirements (section 2.2) if seeking certified SDG impacts under SDG 5 and other relevant SDGs covering gender aspects.

Gender responsive certification cannot be applied retroactively to projects registered with previous versions of Gold Standard or other standards (e.g., CDM) transitioning to GS4GG; however, a new VPA added under a design-certified PoA or PoA registered under earlier versions/other standards may seek gender responsive certification.

Requirements (Section 2)

Gender Sensitive Certification (2.1) — mandatory baseline

All projects seeking GS4GG certification must:
a) take into account overall societal context from a gender perspective into project design;
b) comply with Principle 2 – Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment requirements of the Safeguarding Principles & Requirements;

c) conduct stakeholder consultation following the stakeholder consultation & engagement requirements.

The document organises gender sensitive certification into:

• Step 1: Basic context

• Step 2: Safeguarding principles assessment

• Step 3: Stakeholder consultation

Gender Responsive Certification (2.2) — required where claiming SDG5 certified impacts

Gender responsive certification is structured as:

• Step 4: Gender analysis and baseline determination

• Step 5: Establish project goals and measure change 

Bold pathway statement: Gender sensitive is mandatory for all; gender responsive is required when seeking certified SDG impacts under SDG 5 (and other gender-relevant SDGs).

Requirements for VVB (Section 3)

The table of contents indicates a dedicated section setting requirements for VVBs in assessing gender sensitive/responsive conformity.

Guidelines (Section 4) — operationalising the steps

The guidelines section provides implementation guidance for:

• gender sensitive steps (basic context, safeguarding assessment, stakeholder consultation), and

• gender responsive steps (gender analysis/baseline, goals/measurement). 

The annex on gender indicators and resources/tools provides further technical support for selecting indicators and applying recognised tools.

» Claims Guidelines

This document provides principles and guidance for what project developers, sponsors, and fund managers may claim from initial listing through to use of issued products (e.g., GSVERs). It addresses two broad claim categories:

1. Certification process claims (status and conformity to requirements), and
2. Product claims representing unitised certified impacts (for buyers/users of products).

It also states that all users must sign Gold Standard Terms & Conditions in order to use the Gold Standard logo and make any claims related to Gold Standard.

Certification process stages and allowable claims

Listing

A listed project/fund is publicly listed on the Impact Registry but is not yet certified. Listed status does not convey certification and does not guarantee success in design review or ongoing verification/performance review. Projects/funds may claim they are “Gold Standard listed” but must transparently disclose that neither the project nor its impacts have been certified by the third-party VVB or Gold Standard.

Design Certification

A design certified project/fund has completed validation and design review procedures and is registered on the Impact Registry. Developers/fund managers may claim “Gold Standard Certified Design.” A certified design means:

• the design/planning meet GS4GG requirements (safeguarding, stakeholder engagement, SDG requirements) and a compliant monitoring plan exists;

• design and projected impact assessment validated by accredited/approved VVB (and sometimes a Gold Standard-appointed certification body for microscale);

• design review completed by an approved certification body and subject to independent TAC/NGO supporter review.

Design certified status does not mean or imply: impacts have been realised or will be realised, or verified/certified as achieved; and does not mean the project is authorised for use in third-party schemes.

Performance Certification

Performance certification means the project/fund has undergone verification and performance review after implementation. Developers/fund managers may claim to have a “Gold Standard Certified Project” or “Fund.” Status is retained via ongoing monitoring, verification, and performance reviews; it may be suspended for non-conformity and terminated if verification/performance review timelines are not met.

For project developers, a Gold Standard certified project means: requirements met (safeguarding, stakeholder engagement, SDG requirements) and monitoring plan followed; impacts claimed are real; impacts verified by accredited/approved VVB (and sometimes GS-appointed certification body for microscale); and performance review completed with TAC/NGO supporter oversight.

The excerpt also indicates that certified projects can claim certification of elements including stakeholder inclusion and safeguard management (with more detailed guidance continuing beyond the visible snippet).

Adaptation Notice under the Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS4GG)

This text has been adapted in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS4GG). In our efforts to ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment, we have carefully reviewed and incorporated Gold Standard into the content. This adaptation process reflects our commitment to high-quality, accurate, ensuring that the information presented adheres to internationally recognized standards.