Who we are

The Gold Standard Foundation is a non-profit organization under Swiss law that operates a certification scheme for premium carbon credits.

Gold Standard credits (GS-CER and GS-VER) are offered for sale in compliance offset markets established by the Kyoto Protocol and in non-Kyoto voluntary offset markets. The Foundation has trademarked the Gold Standard label, which is today internationally-recognised as the leading indicator of quality in carbon markets.

The Foundation is owned by its NGO supporters, currently numbering over 60 non-governmental organizations worldwide. These NGOs have formally endorsed Gold Standard objectives, methodologies and rules of engagement. They demonstrate their continuing commitment by:

• participating in local stakeholder consultations for carbon offset projects in host countries where they are located,
• participating in public reviews of documentation required to register a Gold Standard project and issue Gold Standard carbon credits, and
• reviewing and endorsing major methodological improvements and updates prior to their release.