GS4GG rules
Gold Standard Principles & Requirements - Section (d): Annual Reporting
5.1.39 Transparent, annual update reports need to be provided for Projects that have achieved the Project Design Certification stage or have successfully transitioned to Gold Standard for the Global Goals. An annual report shall be submitted for each ...
What is the submission deadline for a retroactive project?
A retroactive project is one that has started operating before a Gold Standard stakeholder consultation has taken place. For GS VER projects project documentation for Preliminary Review must be submitted within 1 year of the project start date. ...
Which SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) values should be submitted for projects that have not yet transitioned to GS4GG?
The SustainCERT platform has been designed to function for GS4GG projects, which require a minimum of 3 SDG contributions to be monitored. The SustainCERT platform, therefore, requires 3 SDGs values to be submitted as a default. If your project ...
How does one demonstrate vulnerability (e.g. serious risk of discontinuation without carbon revenue)
Gold Standard does not have a set criteria/guidelines that projects can use for demonstrating 'serious risk of discontinuation without carbon revenue'. However, a project can demonstrate vulnerability by either: Showcasing that carbon credits are the ...
Since Gold Standard requires contracts with every single farmer on Land Use or Forestry Project, how do contracts with associations work?
Gold Standard does insist on individual/user level agreements as they are the actual owners of Emission Reduction and not the associations. For all decentralized thermal energy projects like cookstoves, household biogas projects, etc. the individual ...
When does the Usage Requirements rule update enter into force?
The rule entered into force 1 January 2021 and will apply to all new projects and PoAs/VPAs involving household biogas digesters submitted for Design Certification after 01/01/2021. Registered projects and PoA/VPAs involving household biogas ...
Which types of programs are required to follow the updated Usage Requirements?
As of 1 January, 2021, all of the following new and registered projects and Programmes of Activities (PoAs)/VPAs shall be required to apply the Usage Requirements: Implementation/operation of: Household biogas digesters and/or Improved cooking ...
What is the purpose of this rule update?
This rule update is an update to the following methodology: Gold Standard’s Technologies and Practices to Displace Decentralized Thermal Energy Consumption. Household biogas digester projects and PoAs/VPAs must now follow the monitoring plan ...
Can a project developer issue both a CER and a Gold Standard VER in the same vintage?
No. The project developer shall make a declaration, in writing, in the monitoring report to state that the project developer will not issue both a CER and a Gold Standard VER for the same vintage from a project that is registered with Gold Standard.
What is the purpose of this rule update?
REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECTS TO TRANSITION FROM OTHER SCHEMES TO GOLD STANDARD FOR GLOBAL GOALS Eligibility requirements have been updated for all projects seeking to transition to GS4GG for the issuance of Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions ...
Which certification statements must use AR5 GWP values?
All monitoring, verifications and requests for performance certification of Certified products and/or Impact Statements for the period starting 01 January 2021 shall use the AR5 GWP values for calculating emission reductions and removals accrued by ...
Which project types does the updated Global Warming Potential values apply to?
All emission reductions and removals accrued by GS4GG projects and PoAs (micro, small- and large-scale) will be calculated by using the IPCC AR5 GWP values. This requirement will apply to all GS4GG projects and PoAs and entered into force from 01 ...
What happens if a Municipal Solid Waste project has breached incineration regulations?
Where the Project Developer becomes aware that a requirement of the applicable regulations has been breached or is being breached, the Project Developer shall: Inform Gold Standard immediately Immediately take the measures necessary to ensure ...
Can non-renewable fuels be used for biomass energy generation plants?
The use of non-renewable fuel in biomass heat and/or electricity generation plants is authorised as long as the renewable fuel share reaches 50% (percentage of the total fuel consumed on an annual basis) after the first 3 years of operation (from the ...
Can biomass projects make use of GMOs?
Yes. However, activities making use of GMOs shall also comply with the requirements prescribed in Safeguarding Principles & Requirements for Genetic Resources. Avoidance of methane from biomass decay shall be eligible as long as biomass is used as a ...
What type of land can be used for biomass projects?
Project Developers must demonstrate that their project will only make use of degraded land and shall include this criterion in the Sustainability Monitoring Plan to ensure there is no diversion of land from other essential purposes like food ...
I am developing a new small scale (SSC) project or VPA. Does my project have to comply with the new SSC rule?
All new projects or VPAs submitted for design review or inclusion review after this rule comes into force (13 November 2020) shall comply with the requirements outlined in this Rule Update. An already registered project or PoA and its VPAs not ...
When does the Small Scale (SSC) rule update come into force?
13 November 2020.
Does the VPA/PoA rule update apply to future VPAs?
The flexibility regarding VPAs only applies to VPAs that have been listed under a registered PoA before 13 August 2020. Gold Standard will release a rule update related to this issue in the future; future VPAs may be subject to new limitation(s) ...
What is a water benefit certificate (WBC)?
A Water Benefit Certificate (WBC) represents a volume of water that has been sustainably supplied, purified or conserved. A Water Benefit Certificate represents different volumes for different project types due to the wide range of volumes between ...
Which sustainable development goal (SDG) can be claimed for a water benefit project?
For WASH (Water Access Sanitation and Hygiene) projects, you can claim to have contributed to: Target 6.1. Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. Target 6.2. Achieve access to adequate and equitable ...
My project has been validated, but is not registered with another offset scheme. How do I become a GS4GG project?
Projects seeking to transition from other schemes (e.g. CDM/VCS) to GS4GG must be registered with the scheme. Otherwise, they must submit as a new project and follow the complete project cycle. This interpretation has special relevance for the ...
What is the difference between planned emission reductions (PERs) and verified emission reductions (VERs)?
Projects can issue planned emission reductions (PERs - previously known as “validated certificates”) and verified emission reductions (VERs). PERs are “expected” emission reductions (ex-ante units) based on ex-ante estimations, whereas VERs are ...
Do Land Use and Forestry (LUF) projects need to contribute to the Compliance Buffer?
Yes. All LUF projects must contribute 20% of their emission reduction issuance to a pooled Compliance Buffer to deal with the risk of non-permanence. Projects with activities resulting in avoided emissions do not need to contribute to the Compliance ...
As a project developer, how do I choose between GS Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) and GS Renewable Energy Labels for my renewable energy projects?
Projects that follow a Gold Standard approved Emissions Reduction methodology and verified emission reduction (VER) Product Requirements, in addition to the Renewable Energy Activity Requirements and Renewable Energy Labelling Product Requirements, ...
There are many different waste incineration regulations worldwide. Which regulations will apply to my municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration project?
To avoid any potential negative impact, the project seeking certification under Gold Standard for the Global Goals shall meet the most stringent regulatory requirements available for emissions and operation of a MSW incineration plant. In this ...
What is the purpose of the Renewable Energy V1.2 eligibility rule update?
Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS4GG) Renewable Energy Activity Requirements lists the new eligibility requirements applicable to Grid-connected Renewable Energy (RE) projects submitted to Gold Standard for certification after 24/01/2020 (V1.2, ...
When does the Renewable Energy V1.2 eligibility rule update come into force?
The Renewable Energy rule update comes into force 13/05/2020.
What is the biomass availability rule for small-scale and large-scale projects?
Project Participants must demonstrate that their project makes use of surplus biomass for each type of biomass resource used. For small-scale activities, Project Participants can do this once, before the event, in time for validation. For ...
What is meant by the penetration level referred to in paragraph 2.1.3(b)
The penetration level is the ratio of installed capacity of proposed renewable technology in the grid to total installed capacity of the grid in the host country or region. The 5% threshold will be periodically reviewed and updated, potentially with ...
When does the renewable energy eligibility clause come into effect?
The eligibility clause went into effect 24 January 2020. Projects submitted for preliminary review after this date shall demonstrate compliance with this eligibility requirement.
Which requirements does the project follow if the project is seeking the issue of both Renewable Energy Labels and Gold Standard Verified Emission Reductions (VERs)?
Renewable eligibility requirements outlined in the Renewable Energy Activity Requirements document must be met, including the new eligibility clause (paragraph 2.1.3). The requirements in the listed documents shall also be met: Applicable Impact ...
How does the new renewable energy eligibility clause apply to Registered Programmes of Activity (PoAs)?
The new eligibility requirements, as defined in Renewable Energy Activity Requirements, paragraph 2.1.3, set the following requirements for registered PoAs: A registered PoA can continue including new Voluntary Project Activities (VPAs)/Component ...
When does the Validation and Verification Body (VVB) rule requiring a different auditing team to perform a separate verification activity for the same project (Programme of Activity (PoA) come into effect?
The rule comes into force October 2, 2020. After this date, if VVB signs an agreement to perform verification for PoA for which the same VVB already performed a validation activity, the VVB shall meet different audit team requirements. In case of ...
For Voluntary Project Activities (VPAs)/ Component Project Activities (CPAs) included in a Programme of Activity (PoA) without a compliance check, how is compliance monitored?
For the VPAs/CPAs directly included by the Coordinating/Managing Entity (CME), the Validation And Verification Body (VVB) that performs the first verification for such VPAs/CPAs shall confirm that they comply with the requirements defined for the ...
Which projects are required to demonstrate a clear transfer of carbon credit rights?
Activities involving Land Use and Forestry (LUF) and the distribution of large amounts of small-scale domestic interventions, such as heating, cooking, water filters, efficient lighting (CFL, LED, etc.) or electricity generation devices using ...
What are the six main critical issues for hydro projects to address?
Competing use of water resources Minimum ecological flow Impact on groundwater level Design and effectiveness of fish passage(s) Sediment management plan Mitigation measures for reducing soil erosion For more details, please refer to Annex A of the ...
Are all hydro projects required to address the six critical issues listed in the requirements?
Yes. All hydro projects (including micro-scale hydro projects) are required to address the six critical issues in the project documentation.
Transition from GS to GS4GG
According to the GS4GG Transition Requirements, all Gold Standard Registered or Issued projects, irrespective of the version of the Standard with which they were registered, must transition to GS4GG with next verification after the 1st March 2018. ...
Can the Coordinating and Managing Entity (CME) transfer while a project is in development?
Yes. To transfer the project we need signature of both parties on the Cover letter (found under the ‘Templates’ section of the Standard Documents), including company seal. Along with this, please provide a letter on company letterhead stating the ...
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