FAQ - Discontinuation of Gold Standard Certification

Following Gold Standard’s recent announcements on the launch of their new assurance model, we will discontinue our Certification Services as of December 5th. We understand that you may have questions regarding this, and will aim to answer them below:

What does this change by Gold Standard mean for my project?

The change means that, from 5 December 2024, any new review of a project activity will be submitted directly to Gold Standard via their new digital assurance platform.

When will the change happen?

The change will be applicable from the 5th December 2024.

For projects with a fully paid invoice, a transition period will run between 05 Dec 2024 to 30 April 2025 to enable projects to continue the review with SustainCERT via the existing model and management approach.

What will be the process for projects currently undergoing SustainCERT review?

Existing reviews which have been paid for will be able to proceed with SustainCERT as expected.

Existing reviews which have not yet been paid for will be managed by Gold Standard and will move to their new online platform.

Will this change impact project certification timelines?

For reviews which have been paid for and will proceed with SustainCERT, the standard timeline will apply with no disruptions. For any questions about projects which have not been paid for and will not proceed with SustainCERT, please contact Gold Standard.

PROCESS RELATED QUESTIONS

What happens to my account after the transition?

Until the end of your current billing cycle, you will be able to access your account as normal. Once you reach the end of this cycle, you will have the option to renew your subscription to benefit from all other SustainCERT services.

What happens to my existing documents on the SustainCERT platform?

All your documents will remain on the SustainCERT platform until the end of your current billing cycle. Once you reach the end of this cycle, contact Gold Standard to assist with securely transferring them to their new platform.

Will this change in assurance and new system come with additional costs to project developers?

There will not be an additional cost associated with this change.

How will the data be migrated/managed? What provisions are in place to protect any data related to my projects?

All project and certification data will be securely migrated to the new platform. If you need any assistance with data migration or have further questions, please contact Gold Standard directly.

What involvement will SustainCERT have in the new process?

A transition period will run between 05 Dec 2024 to 30 April 2025 to support those projects that are already within the existing review process. Any project that has already been paid for will be able to continue to conclude the review with SustainCERT as expected.

What happens after this transition period?

For any questions about Gold Standard and their processes after the transition period has come to an end, please get in touch with them.

I still have questions about something not covered above

For any additional questions or for more information on any of the above, contact Gold Standard for assistance.