Gold Standard Foundation (Gold Standard) is an independent, non-profit standards body that develops and governs rigorous frameworks for climate and sustainable development impact. Established in 2003 by WWF and other international NGOs, it oversees the Gold Standard for the Global Goals, a certification system designed to ensure that climate actions deliver credible greenhouse gas outcomes alongside measurable benefits aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Gold Standard sets methodologies, assurance requirements, and monitoring and verification protocols for projects and programs across renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste and resource recovery, industrial process improvements, and land use. It operates a public registry for certified outcomes, including verified emission reductions and removals for the voluntary carbon market and mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. Companies, project developers, financial institutions, and governments use Gold Standard’s frameworks to quantify, verify, and report climate and social impacts with high integrity, supporting decarbonization, circularity, and transparent disclosure across value chains.
