Carbon Market Watch response to Gold Standard methodology Consultation on a methodology for a just transition through the early phase out of coal-fired power plants

Carbon Market Watch argues that the Gold Standard's proposed methodology for coal plant phase-outs is insufficient due to unpredictable economic and political factors, weak eligibility criteria for renewable energy, and inadequate financial and emissions accounting. The organization recommends stricter timelines for developed economies, more rigorous additionality assessments, and the inclusion of construction emissions to avoid the issuance of low-quality credits.

• Carbon Market Watch identifies fundamental difficulties in proving the additionality and vulnerability of 'early retirement' projects because the future viability of coal plants is subject to unpredictable shifts in electricity prices, coal prices, and political acceptability.
• The proposed transition timelines are deemed insufficiently stringent; the document argues for a 2030 deadline for developed economies to align with IPCC recommendations and the Powering Past Coal Alliance, noting that IPCC 1.5°C pathways require global coal power to drop by 87% by 2030 and 96% by 2035.
• The methodology's operational and eligibility criteria are criticized for being too vague, specifically regarding the three-year 'uninterrupted commercial operation' requirement for coal plants, which fails to account for plants running at very low capacity on 'standby'.
• Carbon Market Watch recommends several technical improvements to ensure credit quality, including mandating financial reports to ensure revenues expand renewable energy rather than profit coal owners, including construction emissions in the carbon footprint, and requiring regular reassessments of economic and political conditions during the crediting period.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2024). Carbon Market Watch response to Gold Standard methodology Consultation on a methodology for a just transition through the early phase out of coal-fired power plants. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Carbon-Market-Watch-response-to-Gold-Standard-coal-methodology.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. Carbon Market Watch response to Gold Standard methodology Consultation on a methodology for a just transition through the early phase out of coal-fired power plants. 2024. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Carbon-Market-Watch-response-to-Gold-Standard-coal-methodology.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=Carbon Market Watch response to Gold Standard methodology Consultation on a methodology for a just transition through the early phase out of coal-fired power plants |date=5 January 2024 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Carbon-Market-Watch-response-to-Gold-Standard-coal-methodology.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2024carbon, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{Carbon Market Watch response to Gold Standard methodology Consultation on a methodology for a just transition through the early phase out of coal-fired power plants}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Carbon-Market-Watch-response-to-Gold-Standard-coal-methodology.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }