Gold Standard, a leading carbon credit certification body, on Wednesday launched a public consultation process on two proposed methodologies aimed at accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels in a way that is socially equitable and avoids destabilizing energy systems.
The frameworks are intended to channel capital into early retirement of high-emitting assets, with crediting tied to verified emissions cuts achieved by shifting to cleaner energy sources.
They have been built to align with the Paris Agreement, with guardrails around additionality, baseline setting and data integrity to ensure the rules support, rather than undermine, national decarbonization policies.
The Joined-up Sustainable Transition (JUST): Coal Decommissioning methodology is designed to help developers and governments tap climate finance to shut down coal plants ahead of schedule, replace their output with renewable power, uphold grid stability and create new economic opportunities for affected workers and communities.
Relevant: COP30: Singapore, Gold Standard And Verra Unveil Global Carbon Credit Protocol For Article 6.2
The Joined-up Sustainable Transition (JUST): Fossil Fuel Generators methodology applies to projects that replace decentralized fossil fuel generators with renewable power systems.
Developed with Sustainable Energy for All, it measures emissions reductions — including black carbon — from moving away from diesel and gas units, a shift that could be especially significant in parts of Africa where costly, polluting generators still fill major energy gaps.
“These methodologies create a credible pathway to finance the early phase-out of fossil fuel assets, from coal plants to dispersed generators, and replace them with cleaner, more resilient systems using technologies that are available today,” said Gold Standard CEO Margaret Kim.
Additionally, Gold Standard has issued a white paper—Beyond Coal: Expanding Transition Credits to Dispersed Energy Solutions for a Just Future—calling for transition finance frameworks to cover the phase-out of decentralized fossil fuel generation such as diesel units, highlighting the scale of this “shadow grid” and the broad benefits of replacing it with cleaner, more reliable power.
Stakeholders are invited to submit feedback on the two proposed methodologies through Gold Standard’s website until December 19.
Gold Standard is also reposting for consultation its Just Transition Requirements, such as stakeholder engagement, worker retraining, job creation, and social and environmental protection, in the same timeframe.
Read more: Gold Standard Marks Milestone With First CORSIA-Eligible Carbon Credits
