TECHNICAL UPDATES TO GOLD STANDARD FOR THE GLOBAL GOALS

 NEW REQUIREMENTS 
 

SITE VISIT AND REMOTE AUDIT REQUIREMENTS

These new requirements use advanced information and communication technology to make the audit process more agile and enable projects to achieve certification and issuance without a physical site visit where it’s possible to do so while maintaining required levels of assurance.

 REGISTRY UPDATE 
 

PROJECTS MARKED AS ‘ELIGIBLE FOR CORSIA'

In March 2020, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) announced that Gold Standard credits will be eligible for the pilot phase of CORSIA, the aviation sector’s carbon market scheme.

 CONSULTATIONS 
 

STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

CONSULTATION PERIOD
18 Nov 2021 – 24 Dec 2021

Stakeholder consultations and meaningful engagement with those who may be affected by a project is an essential element for ensuring project success. These requirements have been updated in an effort to streamline the process and make the requirements more user friendly for project developers and VVBs.

Key updates include:

1. Rules specific to Programme of Activities (PoAs) in order to provide more cohesive requirements that reduce the need for project developers and VVBs to navigate through multiple documents.
2. The addition of a new section for VVB requirements to better guide the process to assess and report on project compliance with regards to stakeholder engagement.
3. Editorial updates to try and make the document more intuitive and user friendly.

We are seeking your feedback on these new additions to the requirements until 24 December 2021, especially, the proposal to reduce the minimum duration of the Stakeholder Feedback Round from 60 days to 30 days (section 3.6.1 on page 8)

PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITY (PoA) REQUIREMENTS

CONSULTATION PERIOD
18 Nov 2021 – 24 Dec 2021

In order to provide more clarity on the requirements and procedures for Programme of Activities and their project activities (VPAs) and better streamline the process for PoA registration and the inclusion of new VPAs the following updates have been made:

1. A new PoA hierarchy has been defined, with new rules and requirements
2. The scope has been expanded to include requirements and procedures for Land Use and Forestry projects
3. Simplifications introduced to the POA project cycle procedure and inclusion of new PoAs
4. The document structure has been streamlined to make it more intuitive and easier to follow

We are seeking your feedback on these new additions to the requirements until 24 December 2021, especially with regards to the comments featured in page 44 and 52 of the document.
 

METHODOLOGY: CARBON SEQUESTRATION THROUGH ACCELERATED CARBONATION OF CONCRETE AGGREGATE 

CONSULTATION PERIOD
25 Nov 2021 – 27 Dec 2021

Currently demolished concrete is collected at Concrete Recycling Facilities (CRF) and crushed into concrete aggregate before it is used as a substitute to gravel and sand or before it is landfilled. This methodology facilitates technology-based CO2 sequestration in demolished concrete before it enters downstream processes.

CO2 sequestration can be achieved using either direct or indirect mineral carbonation. Through the applied processes of carbonation, concrete aggregate is exposed to an increased concentration of CO2 , making it react with the cement and enabling the sequestration process. This methodology, developed by Neustark AG, describes different processes which use either direct or indirect mineral carbonation. 

We are seeking feedback on this new methodology before we request approval from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and release for general public use. Feedback can be provided until 27 December 2021.
 

STANDARD UPDATE TRAINING WEBINARS 

Our certification provider, SustainCERT, will provide training and support for project developers and VVBs on the following topics:   
 
Rule updates/clarifications

• Smallholder, small-scale and microscale definitions and requirements for Land-Use and Forestry projects 
• Site Visit and Remote Audit Requirements and Procedures 
• CORSIA Registry Update 

• Programme of Activities (PoA) Requirements
• Stakeholder Consultation and Engagement Requirements
• New methodology for concrete aggregate