As CEO of Gold Standard, Margaret Kim is redefining how the world measures success in climate and development — putting credible, verified impact at the center of sustainable action.
“Credible impact quantification has only scratched the surface, yet it has the potential to drive a paradigm shift to valuing what really matters, above and beyond financial returns.” — Margaret Kim
A Leader at the Frontier of Climate Standards
Since taking the helm of Gold Standard, Kim has been accelerating the organization’s mission to certify and scale climate and development projects with measurable, high-integrity results. With a network of 1,500+ projects across 80+ countries, Gold Standard is enabling billions of dollars in climate finance to be tracked, verified, and aligned with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Her vision? To drive a transition from finance-first metrics to impact-first outcomes.
From Global Policy to Market Integrity
Prior to joining Gold Standard, Margaret Kim held senior leadership roles at the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), including Head of Green Climate Fund Liaison and Head of Strategy and Integration. Her public sector experience is grounded in private sector expertise — having also served in corporate strategy and business development roles in biotechnology.
Former Gold Standard President and Former UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer emphasized Kim’s unique capabilities:
“Margaret Kim will draw on her experience with upstream policy work and resource mobilisation to help Gold Standard penetrate development finance, impact investment and corporate sustainability.”
Scaling Solutions That Count
Under Margaret Kim’s leadership, Gold Standard has continued to expand adoption of its Gold Standard for the Global Goals — launched in 2017 to integrate sustainable development into every carbon credit issued. By aligning carbon markets with the SDGs, the standard ensures that verified climate projects also deliver tangible co-benefits for communities and ecosystems.
“I look forward to leading a dynamic team to help accelerate this transition,” said Kim. “We must build a system that values what really matters.”
With impact quantification as the next frontier in sustainability, Margaret Kim is guiding the shift from carbon counting to world-changing outcomes.
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