SDG Impact Quantification Methodologies

An online tool to easily, clearly and transparently monitor SDG impact. Information on how to access and use this tool can be found in the digital user manual or tutorial.

A tool to easily, clearly and transparently monitor SDG impact. From 13 March 2022, the SDG Impact Tools are a mandatory part of the project development cycle. You can find all the information you need to apply these tools in the SDG Impact Tool Featured Requirements page.

This downloadable excel document provides a list of all the methodologies eligible for certification under Gold Standard for the Global Goals. The document includes all Gold Standard methodologies and eligible CDM methodologies and provides a one-stop-shop for project practitioners assessing which methodology to apply to their project activity.

This methodology tool provides a topline overview of the mitigation and removal options currently available and/or under development within Gold Standard for the Global Goals.

The methodology presents requirements to quantify changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks through the adoption of improved agricultural practices. Activities can achieve avoidance of emissions as well as sequestration of carbon in the soil, both which result in increased SOC content.

This Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Activity Module focuses on zero tillage/no-till practice, an agricultural technique for growing crops or pasture without mechanically disturbing the soil through tillage (including disturbance from non-turning tillage such as rippers and disc harrows).

This Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Activity Module presents requirements and guidance to quantify and monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and soil organic carbon (SOC) changes resulting from change in soil management practices within agricultural systems through application of biostimulants for soil revitalisation. The eligible activities are intended to achieve net carbon sequestration in the soil carbon pool. This activity module shall be applied in conjunction with the Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology.

This module focuses on defining, monitoring, and reporting the improved management of pasture. Although the module was developed for managed pastures in dairy production in Finland, it is applicable regionally in the EU.

Provides guidance for the development and the procedure for approval of Activity Modules under the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Framework Methodology.

This Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Activity Module presents the requirements and guidance to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture by changing soil tillage practices within agricultural systems. This SOC Activity Module is based on and replaces the Gold Standard Agriculture Methodology for Increasing Soil Carbon Through Improved Tillage Practices V0.9.

This Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Activity Module presents requirements and guidance to monitor and calculate the climate impact of the application of organic soil improvers from pulp and paper mill sludges.

This activity Module focuses on cover crops planted to cover the bare soil during fallow periods to increase soil organic carbon (SOC). It is applicable globally.

This methodology was released for road testing and has since been replaced by the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Activity Module released under the SOC Framework Methodology.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions & Sequestration from Afforestation/Reforestation (A/R) activities. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

The methodology is applicable to measures that reduce anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in rice-cropping soils. Such measures include changing the water regime during the cultivation period. This methodology can be applied to large and small-scale or micro-scale projects or PoAs.

Gold Standard has approved the requirements to apply CDM Methodology AMS-III.AU “Methane emission reduction by adjusted water management practice in rice cultivation” for Gold Standard Certification.

Cows release methane (CH4) as a result of the digestion of feed materials in the rumen, one of the four stomach chambers of ruminant livestock. Fermentation in the rumen generates hydrogen as a result of the feed degradation by microorganisms present in the rumen. The animals must remove the produced hydrogen. One of the ways to reduce hydrogen in the rumen is the production of methane which is released by respiration and eructation into the atmosphere. These emissions are called enteric emissions.

The methodology quantifies the reduction of methane (CH4) emissions from enteric fermentation for dairy cows as well as impacts on emissions from manure handling. The methodology focuses on application of feed supplements to directly inhibit methanogenesis.

Methodology for quantification of GHG Emission Reductions from improved management in smallholder dairy production systems. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

This methodology provides the approaches for estimating carbon removals from the reforestation of mangrove ecosystems. This includes the planting of mangroves in areas that historically supported mangrove ecosystems.

Top soil erosion is one of the main drivers of land degradation. Agricultural lands with declining soil organic matter face reductions in the water infiltration capacity of soil, leading to increased run-off and further topsoil erosion. This methodology quantifies the water benefits created when adopting sustainable agricultural land management practices (SALM) that mitigate soil erosion.

This template has been created to help to collect baseline and monitoring data for methodology application. The template is for guidance purposes and its use is not mandatory.

This tool is designed to quantify the uncertainty for the methodology application.

Applicable to projects and programmes that seek to introduce zero or low GHG water purification systems to provide safe drinking water, this methodology quantifies GHG emissions reductions displaced through decentralised thermal energy technologies. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements, projects and programmes applying this methodology may be issued with GSVERs.

This methodology applies to the activities that involve recovery and use of methane from manure and agricultural wastes that would be decaying anaerobically, emitting methane to the atmosphere, in the absence of the implemented activity

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from projects that displace decentralized thermal energy technologies. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

This document sets out the Requirements and Guidelines for carrying out usage surveys for projects implementing improved cooking devices. It is an annex to several methodologies related to clean cooking.

Methodology to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from micro-scale cookstove projects. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from alternative ignition techniques. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from displacing fossil fuel stoves with plant oil stoves. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for estimating and verifying 'Averted Mortality and Disability Adjusted Life Years' (ADALYs) from cleaner household air projects.

This methodology applies to modern energy cooking appliances that directly measure in real-time the amount of energy or fuel consumed in households, communities, and/or institutions such as schools, prisons or hospitals. This includes, but not restricted to, LPG, electric and biogas metered cookstoves, and bio-ethanol cookstoves.

This technical reference manual aims to assist project developers and practitioners in applying the Gold Standard Methodology to Estimate and Verify ADALYs from Cleaner Household Air. While the specific requirements and guidelines are laid out in the ADALYs methodology, this document serves as a supplementary guide to support the successful implementation of the methodology. The manual also provides information on global and regional organisations and testing centres who have the expertise and capacity to monitor personal exposure – a mandatory requirement for the ADALYs methodology.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify Short Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs), such as Black Carbon, from improved cookstove projects.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from improved household device (e.g. efficient light bulbs) projects. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from thermal improvements in buildings. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

The methodology applies to project activities, which comprise elevator operation and the application of regenerated energy resulting from the elevator’s regenerative energy potential to achieve emissions reduction. It integrates the Battery Management System and Energy Management System for efficient energy control and dispatch from the elevator(s) to the whole building.

This methodology applies to project activities that shift the mode of transport of urban passengers to mechanical bicycles, tricycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, or e-tricycles, by implementing related infrastructure in an urban area such as bicycle lanes, bicycle and e-scooter sharing programmes (through dock less bicycles or e-scooter sharing stations) and bicycle parking areas. This is an adaptation from the CDM approved methodology AMS.III.BM - Lightweight two and three wheeled personal transportation V2.0.

The methodology is applicable to projects that implement shore-side or offshore electricity supply for ships while they are docked at berths or offshore. The use of onshore or offshore sources, such as specially designed buoys, to provide electricity replace the need for ships' fossil-fuel auxiliary power generators.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from fuel switch to biomass. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions switching from fossil fuels to biomass residues. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from micro-scale energisation and electrification projects. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements project may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from small scale food presevation activities. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from small scale energy production for agricultural products. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from using biodiesel made from waste projects. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

This methodology is applicable to projects that implement activities for the recovery and recycling of metals, alloys, and minerals.

This methodology applies to mitigation activities that use on-site waste processing to avoid methane emissions caused by organic waste being sent to landfills.

This methodology applies to projects and programmes that utilise Sargassum and/or other ocean-based macroalgae waste biomass to produce useful products, including bioplastics. The methodology quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions achieved by avoiding waste algal biomass reaching landfills and displacing more carbon-intensive products and materials.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from manure management activities. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

The methodology is applicable to activities that involve installation of equipment for reducing methane slip, i.e. methane that escapes unburnt from marine and land-based (stationary) internal combustion engines using natural gas or other methane-rich fuel, including fuels derived from renewable sources. The equipment that reduces methane slip is installed in the exhaust gas stream and includes instruments for measuring the concentration and flow rate of methane and other gases before and after the component that reduces methane emissions, permitting an accurate quantification of methane emissions reduction.

This methodology aims presents a standardised approach to measure, certify and verify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions for activities involves use of biofuels blending with fossil bunkers in sea vessels (as bunker fuels). The counterfactual scenario looks at GHG emissions from conventional fossil fuel traditionally used to power sea vessels. The typical project activity for this methodology – biofuel bunkering in sea vessels - includes all supply chain processes (from waste oil collection to loading the blended biofuel onto a vessel), measuring emissions from the entire supply chain of the biofuel and comparing that against the GHG emissions from the fossil fuel options for shipping transport.

Methodology to quantify Emissions Reductions from the retrofit of energy efficiency measures in shipping. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from applying advanced hull coating activities.

Methodology for projects seeking to quantify GHG Emissions Reductions from installing flow improvement equipment on ships. Used in conjunction with the GHG Emissions Reduction & Sequestration Product Requirements projects may be issued with carbon credits.

This methodology quantifies the impact of projects which provide access to clean and safe water, particularly in developing countries using the Gold Standard Foundation’s Water Benefit Standard.

This methodology is specific to an adaptation of a particular planting method for sugarcane, which is part of the much more comprehensive package of practices known as the Sustainable Sugarcane Initiative (SSI).

Applicable to the project activities where captured carbon dioxide (CO2) from biomass fermentation is captured and permanently stored in geological storage.

GS4GG methodology "Carbon Sequestration through Accelerated Carbonation of Concrete Aggregate" has been revised and renamed as "Carbon mineralisation using reactive mineral waste". Methodology revision strengthens baseline setting and allows scope expansion of eligible mineral wastes.