Terminology
Gold Standard Registration Procedures
Gold Standard Methodology
Rules and procedures developed for the Gold Standard Foundation to establish a benchmark for premium quality for CDM projects, later extended to cover VER and JI projects.
To date, Gold Standard versions 0, 1 and 2 have been published.
Gold Standard Supporters
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have formally endorsed the Gold Standard methodology as their preferred methodology for carbon offset projects and that can participate in the public review processes prior to project registration and issuance of Gold Standard carbon credits.
Stakeholders
Communities, groups or individuals affected by, or likely to be affected by an activity. In the Gold Standard context, activities are carbon offset projects.
VER Programme of Activities (VER PoA)
A set of interrelated measures to reduce GHG emissions or result in net anthropogenic greenhouse gas removals, applied within a designated area defined in the baseline methodology for a VER project.
CPA VER-equivalent
A single activity under a VER PoA.
Project Cycle
The steps that must be completed by a project developer as part of the application process for Gold Standard registration and Gold Standard credit issuance.
The Regular Project Cycle refers to a project cycle that must be completed before the project Start Date.
The Retroactive Project Cycle refers to a project cycle that begins after the project Start Date.
Project Applicant
A project developer who wishes to use the Gold Standard Brand for marketing a specific project prior to registration.
Time of First Submission
Date when the Local Stakeholder Consultation Report is submitted to the Gold Standard Foundation under the Regular Project Cycle, or when the Pre-Feasibility Assessment Report is submitted under the Retroactive Project Cycle.
Gold Standard Passport
Document that contains supplementary information that must be supplied to the Gold Standard Foundation to register as a GS-CER or a GS-VER project.
Pre-feasibility Assessment
Step required to assess whether a project activity that has already begun can nevertheless be registered with the Gold Standard.
Gold Standard Validation
Report prepared by a UNFCCC-accredited Designated Operational Entity (DOE) confirming that the statements made in the Gold Standard Passport as well as in the CDM PDD are valid.
Gold Standard Registration
Final approval and listing of a project by the Gold Standard Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), with CDM registration a precondition in the case of GS-CER projects.
Accounts for registered GS-CER projects are tracked in the CDM Registry and those for GS-VER projects in the Gold Standard Registry.
Retroactive Registration
Registration of a project activity that is already operational or under construction.
Additionality
Criterion for registering a CDM project which states that the emissions reductions generated by the project shall be additional to those under a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario, established on a project-by-project basis.