10 July 2017: Gold Standard launched a new standard to quantify, certify and maximize the contributions of climate and development interventions towards the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Titled ‘Gold Standard for the Global Goals’ and supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and other international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the standard will certify a range of independently-verified SDG impacts. The tool aims to help businesses, governments and investors to measure, report and track the full range of benefits they have contributed to by funding climate and development projects around the world. It caters to two specific needs, namely project certification and reporting, and impact certification for monetization.

Through its new tool, Gold Standard seeks to make multiple contributions to the SDGs, and to promote stakeholder inclusion, safeguard management, civil society support and transparency in projects.

“Our new standard quantifies and certifies the many additional benefits Gold Standard projects deliver beyond carbon mitigation, for example by providing access to clean energy and water, creating jobs, improving health or protecting natural habitats, providing those who run or fund projects with new opportunities to measure and report their impact,” said Marion Verles, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gold Standard.

Through its new tool, Gold Standard seeks to make multiple contributions to the SDGs, and to promote stakeholder inclusion, safeguard management, civil society support and transparency in projects. The best practice standard is also expected to open up new funding avenues for large-scale programmes around the world, such as green infrastructure and sustainable supply chain interventions.

Gold Standard was established by WWF in 2003. The standard and certification body sets the best practice benchmark for climate projects, ensuring environmental integrity and sustainable development in carbon markets. [Gold Standard Press Release] [Gold Standard for the Global Goals Webpage] [Gold Standard Emission Reductions Webpage] [SDG Knowledge Hub Guest Article by Gold Standard CEO Marion Verles on Getting the Private Sector to Buy In: Value Creation Through the SDGs]