The Nature Actvities Hub hosts resources, tools and templates to support project developers and validation and verification bodies (VVBs) seeking to develop and validate projects that remove and reduce greenhouse gas emissions via forestry, agriculture, blue carbon and freshwater ecosystem activities.
Gold Standard invites feedback and suggestions from all stakeholders on the resources hosted on this Nature Activities hub to help@goldstandard.org.
This page will be updated periodically to reflect user feedback and to include additional resources.
Why nature activities are important?
Nature Activities can play a crucial role in tackling climate change by leveraging natural processes to remove carbon from the atmosphere and enhance ecosystem resilience. They help tackle some of our most urgent societal challenges, including climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, food and water security, and human health, while also improving and safeguarding biodiversity.
Why Gold Standard?
Gold Standard has a growing range of Nature activities methodologies, including afforestation/reforestation (A/R), mangrove restoration, agriculture, and soil organic carbon methods. Support is available for projects of any scale, from large-scale initiatives to smaller, aggregated projects under streamlined Programmes of Activities. Every Gold Standard project requires a verified contribution to at least three of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leading to certified SDG impact statements.
Stakeholders
Standard Documents
Additional information
RESOURCES FOR PROJECT DEVELOPERS
Gold Standard maintains an up-to-date list of frequently asked questions related to NBS
The following VVBs are currently accredited to validate and verify NBS Projects under Gold Standard
Fee Schedule
STANDARD DOCUMENTS
Mandatory requirements
– Project developers seeking Gold Standard certification for land use and forest activities must also comply with the following key documents:
Applicable to all documents
Principles & Requirements
Stakeholder Consultation and Engagement Requirements
Safeguarding Principles and Requirements
Gender Equality Requirements and Guidelines
Activity Requirements outline the basic eligibility conditions for relevant activities and enables such eligible projects to undergo Design and Performance Certification, including issuance of Certified SDG Impact Statements and Products.
Land-Use & Forest Activity Requirements
Blue Carbon Activity Requirements
Applicable when issuing Certified SDG Impact Statements and Products, such as carbon credits
GHG Emission Reductions and Sequestration Product Requirements
Optional RequirementS
These requirements are applicable to certain types of projects.
for designing and implementing a programme where multiple project activities can be developed under one umbrella scheme
to seek deviation from Gold Standard for the Global Goals requirements and/or applicable methodologies
to seek permanent changes to the implementation, operation and/or monitoring of a certified project activity or Programme of Activity
Note – Project developers seeking to transition projects from other crediting programmes to Gold Standard should also review the Transition Procedure to Transition Projects from Other Standards to Gold Standard for the Global Goals and Transition Projects Hub
methodologies
In addition to our mandatory requirements, projects should meet the applicability conditions of one of our eligible methodologies:
Methodologies that apply the Land Use & Forestry Activity Requirements include:
AFFORESTATION/REFORESTATION
applicable to Afforestation/Reforestation (A/R) activities. Consolidated templates to support the application of this methodology can be found in A/R templates.
AGRICULTURE
applicable to measures that reduce anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in rice-cropping soils, including changing the water regime during the cultivation period. More guidance can be found in the Rice Sustainability Hub
LIVESTOCK
This methodology quantifies the reduction of methane emissions from enteric fermentation in beef cattle, as well as impacts on emissions during manure handling. It focuses on the application of feed supplements to reduce enteric methane production in the rumen of livestock
SOIL ORGANIC CARBON
Soil Organic Framework
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
Soil Organic Activity Modules
to defiine, monitor and report the improved management of pasture
applied to 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)
to quantify and monitor results 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
to quantify and monitor results from changing soil tillage practices within agricultural systems
to monitor and calculate the climate impact of the application of organic soil improvers from pulp and paper mill sludges
Methodologies that apply the Blue Carbon and Freshwater Ecosystems Activity Requirements include:
BLUE CARBON
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. The methodology is applicable globally.
Guidelines and Procedures
– The following guidelines and procedures are provided to support project developers to implement activities land use and forestry activities.
To support the stakeholder consultation and engagement process.
To help projects better consider, articulate and mitigate risk with regards to A/R and Agriculture projects. To be used in conjunction with the Gold Standard Land-Use & Forests Activity Requirements.
Includes the set of templates required to help calculate GHG sequestration from Gold Standard Land-Use and Forest project.
Presents the set of requirements and follow up actions to address a performance shortfall scenario associated with a Gold Standard Land-Use and Forest project.
Guidance for the development and the procedure for approval of new Activity Modules under the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Framework Methodology.
Tools and Templates
– The following tools and templates are provided to support project developers to implement activities land use and forestry activities.
The Gold Standard SDG Impact Tool has been developed to help report, validate, verify, and track the contribution of project activities to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) more efficiently and seamlessly
CONSOLIDATED TEMPLATE FOR AFFORESTATION AND REFORESTATION PROJECTS to help calculate GHG sequestration from Afforestation/Reforestation projects. Templates include:
Template
Template
Template
Template
Template
Template
Template for submitting a new Soil Organic Carbon module
Templates required for the certification process, including Preliminary Review Request From, Project Design Document (PDD) and Monitoring Report.
Templates required for the certification process, including Preliminary Review Request From, Project Design Document (PDD) and Monitoring Report.
WEBINARS
Webinar
Webinar
Methodologies Under Development:
The following page contains a list of methodology documents that are in development with The Gold Standard. Please note that this list is subject to change and includes all new methodology concepts submitted from 31st March 2024.
Methodologies Under Development
SALE OF CREDITS
There are multiple ways for project developers to sell credits in order to raise carbon finance for the implementation of activities. These include those listed below.
Direct purchase
Some companies seek to purchase carbon credits directly from project developers. They may seek emission reduction purchase agreements early in a project’s development, through which the company secures the right to purchase future credits at a pre-agreed price.
Accredited service providers
Some companies purchase carbon credits through service providers, who support companies with emission reduction services as well as their purchase of carbon credits.
The International Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Alliance (ICROA) operates an accreditation programme to uphold good practice among service providers, with accredited organisations listed here.
Marketplaces
Carbon credit marketplaces provide a platform for individuals or organisations to purchase carbon credits either directly from project developers, or from intermediary holders of carbon credits. Credits are typically sold at a fixed price through such marketplaces, set by the seller.
Gold Standard operates a Marketplace available to any project developer that has available credits issued to a Gold Standard-certified project.
Other established marketplaces include:
Exchanges
Exchanges provide a platform for organisations to buy and sell carbon credits, either through the sale of batches of credits from an individual project, or through standardized contracts.
Established carbon credit exchanges include:
In recent years there has been a growth in national exchanges for the sale of carbon credits, alongside international exchanges such as those listed above.
Article 6 cooperation
An increasing number of governments are entering into bilateral agreements to transfer ‘mitigation outcomes’ under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Under some of these bilateral agreements, governments – or entities acting on their behalf – seeking to acquire mitigation outcomes are publicly procuring for projects that can deliver mitigation outcomes for use towards the acquiring country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
An overview from IETA of announced bilateral agreements between governments, including those involving the Government of Vietnam, can be accessed here.
Additional resources
GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
Gold Standard has released a new carbon market regulations tracker, increasing visibility on regulations across continents for project developers, governments, and other market actors. The tracker is intended to support greater awareness and understanding of an increasing number of regulations globally, in order to enable compliance, inform decision-making and allow the identification of trends and best practice.
Webinar: Carbon Market Regulations Tracker
RICE SUSTAINABILITY HUB
The Rice Sustainability Hub hosts resources, tools and templates to support project developers and validation and verification bodies seeking to develop and validate projects that reduce methane emission from rice cultivation. The hub focuses on promoting sustainable rice activities in Vietnam with selected documents also made available in Vietnamese. Many of the resources and tools are also relevant for projects located in other countries.
FURTHER SUPPORT
If you would like further technical support or guidance from the Gold Standard Secretariat, including support with the use of any of the tools or templates provided on this platform, please contact help@goldstandard.org.