Gold Standard for the Global Goals Fee Schedule
The following Fee Schedule went into effect on 05 December 2024 for all Gold Standard for the Global Goals projects. All fees quoted are in US dollars (USD). Gold Standard will do a planned review of its fees every two years to ensure alignment with its mission, sustainability of the organisation and services provided, and simplicity and transparency for stakeholders.
Gold Standard reserves the right to add or amend fees at any time at its sole discretion.
Gold Standard reserves the right to suspend any Registry account due to non-payment of fees for more than 60 days. All suspended Registry accounts must pay a Registry reactivation fee to terminate a suspension.
Fee Schedule
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Gold Standard Fee Schedule
All fees are quoted in US dollars (USD) and apply to all Gold Standard for the Global Goals projects.
Gold Standard reviews fees every two years and reserves the right to add or amend fees at any time at its sole discretion.
Registry accounts unpaid for more than 60 days may be suspended; reactivation requires payment of the reactivation fee.
Questions? Contact help@goldstandard.org.
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Project Reviews & Credit Issuances
Fees relevant for projects seeking Gold Standard certification, including those issuing carbon credits.
Core (relevant for most projects)
| Type | Fee | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Registry account | $1,000 [1] | Annual, per organisation |
| Preliminary review (listing) | $1,00040% discount for microscale + regular VPAs | Per project or PoA & 1st VPA [2], at submission |
| Design review (registration) | $2,50040% discount for microscale + regular VPAs | Per project or PoA & 1st VPA [3], at submission [4] |
| Performance review | $2,00040% discount for microscale + regular VPAs | Per project or VPA, at submission [4] |
| Issuance | Cash: $0.25/credit — or — SOP: $0.15/credit + 2% of issuance [5][6] LDC projects — Cash: $0.20/credit — or — SOP: $0.10/credit + 2% of issuance | Per credit (VER), at issuance request |
Other (if requested)
| Type | Fee | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Design certification renewal fee | $2,000 | Per project, at request to renew crediting period (5-year cycle) |
| Design change review | $1,000 | Per project, at design change request |
| Deviation reconsideration request | $1,000 | For overturned decisions, discounted from next applicable fee |
| CER to VER conversion fee | $0.15/credit | Per credit, at conversion request |
Other Labels & Impact Certification
| Type | Fee | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Article 6 label (including CORSIA) | $0.05/credit | Per credit (VER), at issuance request |
| Renewable Energy labels (RELs) | $0.10/unit | Per unit (REL), at issuance request |
| Labelling of CERs | $0.10/credit | Per credit, at issuance request |
| Impact statements without unit issuance (e.g., Scope 3 interventions) | Same as normal project review fees; $3,000 for impact statement issuance | At impact statement request |
Credit Transfers, Retirements & Cancellations
| Type | Fee | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $0.02/credit | Payable by account holder initiating the transaction, invoiced quarterly |
| Retirement fee | $0.02/credit | Payable by account holder initiating the retirement, invoiced quarterly |
| Cancellation fee | $0.02/credit | Payable by account holder initiating the cancellation, at request |
Methodology Reviews & Revisions
| Type | Fee | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| New methodology review | $30,000 – $40,000depending on complexity | Per methodology, at draft methodology submission [7][8] |
| Methodology revisions | $15,000 – $25,000depending on complexity | Per methodology, at draft methodology submission |
Validation & Verification Body (VVB) Approvals
| Type | Fee | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| VVB application review | $8,000 | Per organisation, at request for approval |
| Annual VVB management | $2,500 | Per organisation, annually |
| VVB re-approval | $5,000 | Per organisation, at request for re-approval |
| VVB training | $2,000 | Per training, as requested by entity |
Notes
- Registry fees are pro rata. Gold Standard reserves the right to suspend any Registry account due to non-payment of fees for more than 60 days. All suspended Registry accounts must pay a Registry reactivation fee of $1,500 to terminate a suspension.
- Programme of Activities (PoA): any real-case Voluntary Project Activity (VPA) and the 1st VPA (as per PoA hierarchy) are charged the same fee as a normal project, with subsequent regular VPAs discounted by 40%. For Microscale PoAs, the 40% discounted fee also applies.
- Same PoA rule applies to the design review fee (see note 2).
- For products such as Averted Disability-Adjusted Life Years (ADALYs), Water Benefit Certificates (WBCs), and Gender Responsive Certification, an additional fee of $500 per product type applies to both Design Review and Performance Review. Applicable to all scales, per project.
- Projects may switch from Cash to Share of Proceeds (SOP) model at any issuance request.
- The SOP model is not available for projects based in Zimbabwe.
- The methodology developer is exempt from the certification fee (including preliminary review, design review, and first performance review) for the first activity that applies the approved methodology.
- Universities and host countries may be offered a discounted review fee. Contact the Secretariat for more information.
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| v3.1 | 28 July 2025 | Added footnote on SOP availability for Zimbabwe |
| v3.0 | 5 December 2024 | Updated fee schedule upon launch of Assurance Platform |
| v2.0 | 7 July 2023 | Schedule updated with clarifications |
| v1.0 | 14 August 2017 | Entered into effect for all Gold Standard for the Global Goals projects |