GOLD STANDARDS
The Gold Standard was developed in 2003 by a group of not-for-profit organizations concerned about the impact of some CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) projects on the environment and local populations. Initially, it was applied only to CDM projects.
As the voluntary market for carbon credits developed it was recognized that the Gold Standard could also be used outside the CDM market and the first non-CDM projects that fulfilled the Gold Standard criteria were registered in 2006.
Gold Standards - The gold standard works to create a safe world for the climate where sustainable growth delivers life-changing's benefits to communities everywhere. As a standards owner and certification body that maximizes climate impact and development practices, The standard designs the strongest processes to amplify the impact of efforts for providing clean water and energy, and to manage land and forests responsibly. Verify the results and inspire more confidence to drive efforts to achieve even more.
For the technical aspects of measuring and verifying carbon emission reductions, the Gold Standard and CDM systems use the same methodologies, and similar criteria apply (for instance all projects must be “additional”). The main difference between the two systems is that the Gold Standard gives greater attention to the impact of projects on the economic, environmental, and social welfare of the local population.
For these reasons Gold Standard validation alone is generally considered sufficient for the voluntary carbon market and this is borne out by the sales figures. Worldwide in 2012, the volume of carbon credits from projects registered under the Gold Standard alone was 10 MtCO2e, of which a mere 0.35 MtCO2e was from projects also validated under the CDM.
With the desire to support businesses and organizations to build and achieve certification, Bureau Veritas Vietnam is releasing a market survey on Gold Standard in Vietnam. We are appreciated on the precious time taken to complete the survey.