Gold Standard (GS CDM/VER)

The Gold Standard is the world’s highest quality standard for carbon emission reduction projects with added sustainable development benefits and guaranteed environmental integrity.

The Gold Standard label certifies projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (GS CER credits) as well as for the voluntary offset market (GS VER credits). GS projects employ renewable energy or energy efficiency technologies and actively seek local participation in project design, resulting in demonstrable sustainable development benefits.

The Gold Standard established a registry in March 2008 to create, track and enable trade of GS VERs and CERs. Numerous publicly accessible reports create utmost transparency on more than 200 GS projects in over 30 countries.

The Gold Standard is officially endorsed by 42 non-governmental organizations, including WWF and Greenpeace. GS projects generate premium prices in the market and developers profit from a fair priced niche market with substantial demand currently growing. Buyers of GS credits reduce CDM-specific and reputational risks. First Climate is a main sponsor of the Gold Standard Version 2.