NEW YORK CLIMATE WEEK AND A MOMENTOUS WEEK FOR GOLD STANDARD

As New York Climate Week makes clear the need for urgent action, Gold Standard’s team has been busy across the globe doing just that. From Nairobi to New York, from clean cooking to global convening, it’s been a busy and impactful week across continents.?

GOLD STANDARD HOSTS PANEL EVENT AT NEW YORK CLIMATE WEEK

On 24th September, Gold Standard co-hosted a panel discussion at New York Climate Week with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), during which the panel delved into ‘Targets, Removals, and Markets – What’s Changed for Carbon in 2024?’??

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More than 150 people from various businesses attended the panel event, including representatives from Chanel, BP, Bloomberg, and Shell. Keynote speaker Philippe Varin , Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce , set the scene by discussing the importance of moving away from discussion and toward the concrete tools needed to deliver action.?

Representing Gold Standard were Sarah Leugers, Chief Growth Officer and Daniel Magrath, Corporate Responsibility Manager, who led the conversation on how to break the gridlock on corporate climate action. To form the esteemed panel, Sarah and Daniel were joined by Kerry Constabile , Director of Decarbonisation Strategy at 亚马逊 , Timothy Juliani , Director of US Corporate Climate Engagement from WWF , Helen N. , Vice President of Social Impact at Prose and Sheri (Houston) Hickok , Chief Executive Officer at Climate Impact Partners .??

The panel discussed how organisations can make meaningful progress toward Scope 3, encouraging radical transparency, credible claims and owning the challenges or blockers to the systemic changes required. The panel shared their own challenges, opportunities in their respective industries to be more ambitious, to advocate your position more strongly, avoid greenwashing as well as the need to go beyond your value chain for true impact on sustainability. Tying the discussion together was Gold Standard’s Daniel Magrath, who shared both best practice in corporate responsibility but importantly, the tools and entry points which businesses can use to start with to make their journey to Net Zero feel less daunting.??

GOLD STANDARD CEO MARGARET KIM VISITS PARTNER PROJECTS IN EAST AFRICA

Gold Standard CEO Margaret Kim visits partner projects in East Africa?

Meanwhile,?Gold Standard’s ?CEO Margaret Kim was visiting projects in East Africa, seeing the impact and future potential of carbon finance with Gold Standard-certified clean cooking projects in Kenya with Ecosafi and Uganda with Simoshi .??

About 28% of the global population, roughly 2.3 billion people, cook over open fires. That equates to nearly four in five Africans using traditional stoves in Africa. Domestic cooking is mainly outside the productive economy, making it very difficult to subsidise or regulate, and therefore difficult for traditional funding to reach. The carbon market is part of the solution to the clean cooking challenge, combatting the severe health, environmental and economic impacts of traditional cooking stoves.?

Clean cooking is a real climate challenge and is an essential and credible way to act on unabated emissions. Having been the first standard to release a clean cooking methodology, Gold Standard is a pioneer in this space.??

In Nairobi, Margaret Kim met? Salome Omuke, a user of EcoSafi’s clean cookstove, to understand firsthand the impact that Gold Standard projects are having.?

Salome told Margaret of the transformative impact of clean cooking on her and her families life:??

‘EcoSafi is a magic item that helps me deliver amazing meals to my family...it’s so easy, I now cook very fast and give them meals at an affordable rate’?

‘My daughter suffered for close to three years before the new cookstove’?

In Kampala, Margaret met Mauricia Namale, Head Teacher of Kibiri Catholic Primary School, which has an efficient cookstove provided by Simoshi. She explained that cooking on the new cookstove reduced the amount of wood the school used from three trucks a month to one. This not only reduces deforestation but also saves them money, which they can use to improve the facilities available to the children.?

GOLD STANDARD LAUNCHES NINE ACTIONS BUSINESSES SHOULD TAKE ON THE JOURNEY TO NET ZERO

To coincide with New York Climate Week, Gold Standard released its “Top 9 Actions Businesses Should Take on the Journey to Net Zero”, urging businesses to be ‘Brave’ and ‘Take Responsibility’. This is a must-read guide for businesses thinking about corporate sustainability.?The guide provides clear, actionable steps for companies looking to advance their climate commitments, from setting governance structures to transparently disclosing emissions and tackling value chain impacts.????

1 - Don’t be Afraid to Take the First Step?

2 - Set Up Your Governance?

3 - Transparently Disclose Emissions and Progress?

4 - Tackle Your Value Chain Emissions?

5 - Take Responsibility for Emissions You’re Yet to Abate??

6 - Amplify Your Positive Climate Actions by Encouraging Others??

7 - Make Credible, Honest and Transparent Claims??

8 - Authentically Communicate Your Progress??

9 - Start Now!?

The journey to net zero can feel overwhelming. While it’s tempting to look for quick fixes this opens businesses up to criticism and can be more expensive in the long run. The age of urgency requires credible, transparent action. Though there are many barriers to climate action, Gold Standard can help guide your planning and actions, regardless of where you are on your journey.?

GOLD STANDARD WINS ENVIRONMENTAL FINANCE AWARD

Gold Standard has won Best GHG Crediting Programme/Standards Setter in Environmental Finance 's Annual Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings!

This award recognises our commitment to delivering the highest-quality climate outcomes while maximising the impact on people and the planet. It reflects our incredible team's hard work, dedication, and innovation. It is a testament to the achievements of our partners and stakeholders who work with us and inspire us to keep trying to improve the world.? ?

Thank you to everyone who voted for us and those who support us to ensure climate action with integrity drives impact for people and nature.?

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