How does myclimate measure contributions to the SDGs?

At myclimate, we particularly stress the transparent and credible measurement and presentation of contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We want to counteract an increasing trend toward ‘SDG-washing’ and thus strengthen the unique and truly global framework of the SDGs adopted by the United Nations (UN).

What are the SDGs?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) comprise 17 universal goals and are the core of the UN’s Agenda 2030. All UN member states are meant to achieve them by 2030.

Read all about the 17 SDGs in our detailed FAQ.

We use a proven and reliable tool to measure, certify and present the contributions of our carbon offset projects to the SDGs: the ‘Gold Standard for the Global Goals’. It also offers a good guiding framework for projects certified according to other standards. The comprehensive Gold Standard Guidelines and tools for measuring SDG contributions ensure that specific ecological, economic or social impact contributions can be measured, verified and thus communicated transparently.   

For each carbon offset project, indicators (KPIs) are defined that quantify the development of the individual impacts starting from a baseline set before the start of the project. The indicators are assigned to the SDGs along the lines of the Gold Standard’s requirements. This allows us to see how an indicator – e.g. the number of new jobs created (contribution to SDG 8), the number of schoolchildren provided with clean drinking water every day (contribution to SDG 6), etc. – develops over time and whether the desired effects are achieved.

The measurement of SDGs is associated with high effort and high costs; each additionally measured SDG increases the effort of project controlling. Besides cost and effort reasons, there is often a lack of measurement approaches to show the concrete impact of different SDGs. Example: Increasing biodiversity in agroforestry projects - biodiversity effects cannot be measured easily, but nevertheless there is a very clear link to the project, which we want to describe at least narratively.

On our project websites, we make a transparent distinction between development impacts or SDG contributions that have been audited and verified by the myclimate certification standards (e.g. Gold Standard) and other impacts that have not been externally audited and verified. We present the latter as unverified SDGs, which we measure and assess together with our project partners on site and which are assessed as such, but not externally audited as part of the verification process. With this approach, we want to ensure that our clients receive a comprehensive and transparent picture of all the achievements of our projects.