The standard documents are grouped in numbered sections by scope and purpose. The table below provides a guide to these different sections.
The website is also equipped with a search option to help you find the applicable documents quickly. If you can’t find what you are looking for or have any feedback on this website, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Section Guide
| Principles and Requirements (100): The requirements and guidelines that all projects must follow.* |
| Activity Requirements (200): The requirements that apply to specific project types. These include Land-Use and Forests (LUF), Renewable Energy (RE), and Community Services (CSA).** |
| Contextual Requirements (300): Requirements for projects operating within a specific context. These include Sustainable Urban Development. |
| SDG Impact Quantification (400): Methodologies and/or tools that must be applied to quantify the SDG impacts from a specific project type. Note multiple methodologies may be applied in one project. |
| Product Requirements (500): The requirements that need to be applied if you would like to issue a Gold Standard certified product, such as VERs, GS-CERs or Gold Standard labelled RECs. |
| Governance: Documents related to the governance procedures of the standard. These are not required to be read to develop a project. |
*The Principles and Requirements (100) also contain specific requirements that apply only to certain types of project design (e.g. microscale and PoA requirements).
**Activity Requirements (200) may include exceptions to the Principles and Requirements applicable to specific project activity types.
Document types
Core Document Documents that are mandatorily applicable to all projects. These core documents provide the requirements, principles and procedures every Gold Standard project must follow. |
Guideline Provide mandatory guidance on a specific area or subject |
Activity Requirement Mandatory documents that provide the requirements specific to a Gold Standard project type. |
Optional Requirement Specific requirements that apply only to certain types of project design (e.g. Microscale and PoA requirements) |
Assurance Document Documents that provide mandatory guidance and requirements on assurance. |
Governance Document Documents related to the governance procedures of the standard. |
Methodolgies The documents that need to be followed to quantify and certify the SDG impacts from project activities. |
Framework Methodology Overarching requirements for quantifying SDG impacts. These frameworks provide the definitions, requirements and core calculation procedures that need to be followed by corresponding activity modules. |
Activity Module Activity specific modules. These documents provide the requirements and calculation approaches applicable to specific activities. They are developed following the guidance from the relevant framework methodology. |
Template All forms and templates that may be required during the project certification cycle. |
Procedure |
Methodology Tool Tools to help calculate the SDG impacts from certain methodologies. |
Rule Update Updates to the standard documentation. These are to be applied in addition to the standard documentation. |
Rule Clarification Clarifications to the standard documentation. |