Value proposition

Climate security + sustainable development for all

Gold Standard works to create a climate secure world where sustainable growth brings life-changing benefits to communities everywhere. Our role as a standard and certification body is to maximise the impact of climate and development activities. We design the strongest processes that amplify the impact of efforts to deliver clean energy and water, responsibly manage land and forests, and transform lives of the world’s poor. We then verify those outcomes, inspiring greater confidence that drives investment to accomplish even more.

We were established in 2003 by WWF and other NGOs as a best practice standard to ensure projects that reduced carbon emissions under the UNs CDM also delivered on their dual mandate to foster sustainable development. Now with more than 80 NGO supporters and 1100 projects in over 70 countries, our projects have delivered billions of dollars in climate and development outcomes in local communities all around the world.

Our Vision: Climate security and sustainable development for all

Our Mission: To maximise the impacts of climate and development interventions by creating robust standards that lead to responsible management of the planet's resources and life-changing benefits to communities around the world.

Our Values

Pioneering: For over a decade, we've shown how climate finance can achieve its highest potential. We’re pushing this further, creating and integrating innovative programs to deliver impacts at a greater scale.

Collaborative: To realize our ambitious vision, we will join forces with strategic partners who share our goals and values.

Rigorous: We will build upon our reputation for quality and rigour with more robust measurement of outcomes and deeper impact across the Sustainable Development Goals.

Transparent: We were established to bring confidence, trust and accountability to carbon markets. We will continue to take strides to improve transparency in our own processes and the broader market.

Carbon markets, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Development, Carbon abatement project development, certification, Standards, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Climate change, Agriculture, Forests and Land Use, and Water