April 2017: The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat and the Gold Standard have entered in a partnership to assist corporations, investors, sub-national regions, territories and cities, in setting sustainability targets and assessing the sustainable development impacts of their initiatives. The partnership aims to provide actors with improved ways to easily and cost-effectively analyze, assess and demonstrate their sustainability initiatives.

According to the UNFCCC, the partnership will “build on the standard-setting experience of both organizations in the areas of impact evaluation of climate and sustainable development actions.” It underlines that the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be achieved “only if they are fully recognized as one encompassing agenda,” and that the 17 SDGs should be tacked in an integrated manner.

The collaboration between the two organizations will seek to deliver a decision-making tool for corporate sustainability impact assessments; methodologies and approaches to quantify and report on the impacts of sustainable development actions; and technology solutions.

The collaboration between the two organizations will seek to deliver: a decision-making tool for corporate sustainability impact assessments; methodologies and approaches to quantify and report on the impacts of sustainable development actions; and technology solutions to reduce the barriers to measuring, quantifying and certifying impacts. While recognizing the central role of governments in delivering the SDGs, James Grabert, Director, UNFCCC Secretariat, stated that “the speed and scale of the transformation needed can only happen if supported by all sectors of society.” [UNFCCC Press Release] [The Gold Standard Website]