Areas of Support

Gold Standard collaborates with governments to deliver national climate objectives, to certify climate impacts under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With over 20 years of experience as a best practice impact standard, we use our learnings and capabilities to support and collaborate with governments across a variety of national and international initiatives.

Following the adoption of the Article 6 rulebook, governments can use Gold Standard for the Global Goals to certify mitigation outcomes generated and transferred internationally under the Paris Agreement. New requirements and registry features allow for the management of authorised credits in line with international rules, while Gold Standard is building new procedures to share information across registries and with national focal points.

Gold Standard’s thought leadership has shaped discussions on Article 6 by pioneering support mechanisms for the market, including the development of a helpdesk, guides and papers, and creating opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange through knowledge sharing platforms. As newer requirements to operationalise Article 6 emerge, Gold Standard is applying its expertise to support governments prepare for its use while aligning our services to support impact in an evolving market. 

With our world-leading standard and requirements, governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America have already recognised Gold Standard credits as eligible under national carbon pricing policies. Gold Standard is also partnering with countries as a standard of choice for project and portfolio development within their borders, to ensure quality, support sustainable development, safeguard against negative harm, and protect the reputation of national climate action.

Drawing on twenty years’ experience in carbon markets and financing sustainable development, Gold Standard supports governments and their private sectors across the world to develop the capacity needed to implement lasting, impactful, and robust climate policies. To date, our capacity development support has spanned new architecture under Article 6, navigating the voluntary carbon market, and building Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems to underpin climate finance and climate mitigation. 

The Gold Standard digital SDG Impact Tool allows countries hosting projects to set which Sustainable Development Goals monitoring indicators align with their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This can support clear alignment between impacts achieved by activities on the ground and national objectives, in line with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. 

The SDG Impact Dashboard offers open access to discover the climate and sustainable development impacts of Gold Standard-certified projects, in a clear and interactive manner. Governments can track SDG impacts at the national level, supporting governments in implementing their targets under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.   

Alongside our work as a standard-setter, Gold Standard seeks to drive climate security and sustainable development for all through our voice and our advice. Our publications – spanning corporate climate stewardship, double counting, sustainable development, legal rights to carbon credits, amongst others – have helped to shape norms and rules within the carbon market and climate action, and can support governments as they develop ambitious national approaches.

With a Sustainable Development investment gap of approximately $4 trillion per year, there is an important financial gap to fill. Gold Standard has created impact management and measurement tools for governments, as well as investors and corporates, to drive greater impact and catalyse private and public investment towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our Fund Requirements can be applied to any portfolio of investments, including bonds and through blended finance vehicles, and can work across resilience, just transition, nature-based solutions and landscape outcomes.

Interested in learning more about how we can support governments and host countries to operationalise Article 6, and catalyse investment towards national and international sustainability goals?

Visit our FAQ page and search 'Article 6' for more information