At RECS we support the development of both existing and new EAC markets around the world. We engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, market participants, and
consumers, and provide the knowledge and information they need to boost consumer demand for renewable energy. RECS Energy Certificate Association (formerly RECS International) works to provide the knowledge, motivation, and confidence needed to buy 100% renewable energy.
Working with our members from Europe and worldwide, we strive to create an open and transparent demand-driven renewable energy market, facilitated by commonly accepted and harmonized tracking systems. RECS engages with legislators, policy-makers, regulators, and system operators to make the case that effective renewable energy markets can help to accelerate the energy transition and, thereby, make an important contribution to tackling climate change.
Having worked since 2001 to improve and simplify the system of tracked energy RECS has unmatched expertise in the issuance, trade, and cancellation of renewable energy certificates – the process that allows consumers to claim the use of a specific volume and type of renewable energy.
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The work of RECS
Supporting our members
Advocacy work
Working groups
Events
The RECS Community
Working for RECS International
The work of RECS
Supporting our members
Thanks to the support RECS Energy Certificate Association (RECS) receives from our broad member base, we are able to dedicate significant resources to the work of strengthening EAC markets. Part of this work involves providing our members with access to:
- an extensive network of professionals in EAC markets
- members-only meetings and events
- thought-leading documents
- direct and rapid support from the Secretariat
- working groups
- draft position papers for review prior to publication
Members of RECS can also participate in the organisation’s two yearly general meetings – at which they can comment on the RECS International work programme, budget, annual report, and other strategic documents. RECS International also encourages members to join the organisation’s working groups that review draft documents and reports, in addition to enjoying discounts to attend RECS International events.
Advocacy work
RECS Energy Certificate Association has successfully advocated for the development and use of robust and reliable energy attribute tracking systems around the world for more than 20 years. We are the leading knowledge organisation in the sector and our work has delivered major successes, including the establishment of energy attribute tracking in Europe and the enshrining into EU law of the Guarantees of Origin system. RECS International has unrivalled knowledge of the history, current use, and expected future development of attribute tracking systems – knowledge we use to support market players in their use of attribute tracking and advise lawmakers in their legislation of renewable energy markets.
Our advocacy has one key underlying goal – to empower electricity consumers so that they can make active choices about the power they use. We believe that this will help to accelerate the energy transition we need by adding demand-side support for renewable energy to the more traditional use of supply-side support through schemes such as feed-in tariffs. As the cost of renewables continues to fall, and supply-side support becomes more competitive through the use of auctions, the market has already seen renewables projects developed without any public support. This is because developers know that there is a specific market for their renewable power thanks to attribute tracking schemes. Our advocacy will continue to highlight important developments like these, which should lead to the development of more renewables at lower costs.
Specifically, RECS’ advocacy and support of both market players and policymakers played an important role in the development of the legal framework for energy attribute tracking in the EU. This work has been consistent over the passing and revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED) in 2001, 2009, and 2018. Going forward, we are now working hard to support EU Member States and single market members with their implementation of the 2018 RED by providing detailed guidance that follows three key principles:
- The use of GOs in different EU Member States should be harmonised and standardised. An important step to achieving this will be ensuring that every EU Member State has a nationally mandated body as a full AIB member.
- GOs should be issued for all RES electricity production, whether subsidised or not so that every consumer can know about the power they are using.
- In implementing Article 19 of the RED-2, Member States should move beyond basic implementation and towards the development of ‘full disclosure’ systems where every megawatt hour of electricity production is certified by a GO.
RECS members who seek robust legislation in support of increased consumer demand for renewable energy will always have the full support of the RECS International Secretariat’s advocacy skills.
Working groups
Reliable, robust, and transparent energy attribute tracking systems such as the Guarantee of Origin in the EU, the REC system in North America, and the International REC Standard Foundation around the world, are the fundamental basis for creating reliable renewable energy markets. Developing and maintaining these systems requires input from those who know them best – active users throughout the energy value chain. Therefore, RECS places great importance on learning from our members, and taking their views into account when developing our work in new areas. We believe that multilateral and multidisciplinary cooperation is essential to the co-creation of a robust system upon which growing renewable energy markets can thrive.
As such, RECS has set up various working groups to develop new thinking which can be synthesised into best practice documents and other materials. We are currently running working groups on the following topics:
- New technologies in attribute tracking, including blockchain
- Legal and regulatory affairs
- Compliance issues
- Certification of non-fossil gas
If you would like more information on any of these working groups please contact RECS Energy Certificate Association Secretary-General, Adam White (a.white@recs.org)
RECS also provides expert knowledge to the following external working groups:
- RE100 Technical Advisory Group
- CDP Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 guidance advisory group
- and others
Events
RECS Energy Certificate Association organises several events each year to share our knowledge and expertise with our members and other stakeholders. These events include:
The REC Market Meeting
This annual event brings together market players, policy makers, regulators and system operators to showcase the latest developments in renewable energy markets. The REC Market Meeting is the only global expert of its type – focusing on how consumer demand for renewable electricity can be met around the globe. Visit www.recmarket.eu for the latest information on the next REC Market Meeting.
The Open Markets Committee (OMC)
The OMC is organized annually by the Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB) in cooperation with RECS International. This event brings together representatives from European Issuing Bodies (GO issuers) and members of RECS and provides them with the opportunity to get up to date with the latest news on regulatory and systemic developments in the market for Guarantees of Origin.
Various other (smaller) events are organized by RECS and their members. To stay up to date on upcoming events, check the events page.
The RECS Community
As an organisation led by members who participate in rapidly growing renewable energy markets, RECS Energy Certificate Association works closely with many partners and stakeholders to maintain its position as a thought leading and expert body on energy attribute tracking. Core tasks of the organization are initiated and carried out by the secretariat, in close cooperation its board and the wider membership.
Members and stakeholders are organised in active working groups, whose participants provide expertise and experience on specific projects. The engaged membership of RECS ensures that we can effectively represent all parts of the renewable energy market value chain.
The Secretariat
The RECS Energy Certificate Association secretariat is based in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, and Brussels, Belgium. The core tasks of RECS are carried out from these offices. As of February 2023, the secretariat includes:
| Name | Function |
|---|---|
| Adam White | Secretary-General (a.white@recs.org) |
| Jared Braslawsky | Operational Manager (j.braslawsky@recs.org) |
| Katja van Hek | Administrative support |
| Jos Tuinenburg | Junior Analyst (j.tuinenburg@recs.org) |
| Ineke ter Steeg | Bookkeeper |
| Sandra Langedijk | Conference Manager |
The Board
The Board represents the interests of the members of RECS Energy Certificate Association and leads the organisation. The Board convenes several times a year to discuss the ongoing projects and future work of the organization and to scrutinise the organisations management and financial health. Board members can be nominated from RECS Energy Certificate Association members and act as individuals rather than representatives of their respective organisations. Members are appointed by the Board. Tasks carried out by the Board include:
- ensuring RECS Energy Certificate Association is organisationally and financially robust
- commenting and providing feedback on projects and activities carried out by the secretariat
- disseminating information to their respective networks
- participating in lobbying activities that support the development of effective and efficient EAC markets
- voicing specific concerns or questions from members and other stakeholders
- actively participating in events, meetings and conferences
The RECS Energy Certificate Association Board consists of:
| Name | Role | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Eccard | Chairperson | Arendals Fossekompani Deutschland | Germany |
| Louis von Moos | Board member | Association ECS | Switzerland |
| Tom Lindberg | Board member | ECOHZ | Norway |
| Eva Klesse | Board member | KlimaInvest | Germany |
| Oliver Crouch | Board member | Climate Asset Management | United Kingdom |
| Dania Piccioli-Cappelli | Board member | Nvalue | Switzerland |
| Ivan Debay | Board member | Origo | France |
| Saptarshi Pal | Board member | Statkraft Markets B.V. | United Kingdom |
| Marie-Christine Bluett | Board member | IncubEx | Netherlands |
| Filip Strohwasser | Board member | CEZ Group | Czech Republic |
RECS Energy Certificate Association members
Our members make an important and valuable contribution to the RECS community. In turn, they receive support from RECS Energy Certificate Association in a number of ways.
Interested parties can either fill in the Application form Membership 2023 and send it to secretariat@recs.org or request more information from the join us section of this website. All the benefits of RECS Energy Certificate Association membership can be secured for a modest annual fee. RECS Energy Certificate Association is a not-for-profit foundation and we rely on the support and contributions of our members.
A full list of all our members is available here.
If your organisation is interested in becoming a RECS Energy Certificate Association member, please contact the secretariat at secretariat@recs.org
Other stakeholders and partners
Through its work to create robust energy attribute certificate (EAC) systems, the RECS Energy Certificate Association secretariat works closely with legislators, policy-makers, regulators, system operators, and market players throughout Europe. By sharing knowledge and updates, these stakeholders and RECS Energy Certificate Association each benefit from mutual support in reaching our common goals. Below is a list of organizations with whom the secretariat works closely.
The Association of Issuing Bodies (AIB)
The AIB is the leading enabler of international EAC systems in Europe and offers a standardized system for using Guarantees of Origin: the European Energy Certificate System (EECS). Members of the AIB are issuing entities within their respective jurisdictional areas (most commonly national boundaries). and they adhere to the EECS standard.
RECS Energy Certificate Association works closely with the AIB on strengthening and harmonizing the continuously evolving national EAC systems in the EU and EEA. While RECS and the Association of Issuing Bodies have no formal cooperation and are two individual and separate organizations, there are shared goals when working to implement and develop EECS systems. The AIB and its members aim to implement European energy directives (such as the Renewable Energy Directive, the Internal Market for Energy Directive, and the regulation on the internal market for electricity in a trustworthy, reliable, and cost-effective manner.
RECS Energy Certificate Association and the AIB jointly organize the Open Markets Committee (OMC) once a year, which is open to members of both organizations.
European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET)
RECS Energy Certificate Association has had a long-term and cooperative relationship with EFET. The role of RECS and EFET are often seen as complimentary with RECS supporting EFET with technical details and aspects related to the use, implementation, and development of EAC markets in Europe and around the world. RECS and EFET often cooperate on the development of standard contracts for EAC trades as well as on legal and taxation matters.
The International REC Standard Foundation
The International REC Standard Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides a robust attribute tracking standard for use around the world. This standard requires local stakeholders and government authorities to facilitate national implementation of attribute tracking in adherence with local or national regulations. Based upon the International REC Standard and associated Code documents – the blueprints for attribute tracking standards – the I-REC Standard Foundation authorizes independent Issuers to implement robust and transparent attribute tracking systems, ensuring the highest quality and adherence to best practices for the avoidance of double counting, double certificate issuance and double attribute claiming. The I-REC Standard ensures that all the RECs issued nationally are done so in adherence with all major international standards including the GHGP, CDP, RE100, ISO, and others. RECS Energy Certificate Association, in its pursuit of reliable and transparent attribute tracking systems, strongly supports the development of I-REC markets.
RE100
The RE100 is a collaborative, global initiative working to massively increase demand for – and delivery of – renewable energy. It brings together influential companies committed to using 100% renewable power. Within the RE100, RECS Energy Certificate Association was a founding member of the Technical Advisor Group on energy attribute tracking, and to date, RECS continues its collaboration with the RE100 in order to ensure that developments within EAC markets are adequately communicated to the RE100.
RE-Source Platform
The RE-Source Platform is a European alliance of stakeholders representing clean energy buyers and suppliers for corporate renewable energy sourcing. This platform pools resources and coordinates activities to promote a better framework for corporate renewable energy sourcing at the EU and national levels. RECS Energy Certificate Association works with the RE-Source Platform on the implementation of EU legislation relating to energy attribute tracking as well as in the mutual support of the two leading annual conferences in this area in the EU – the RE-Source Event and the REC Market Meeting.
Working for RECS Energy Certificate Association
The work of RECS Energy Certificate Association takes place in a highly dynamic and fast-developing renewable energy market. We have a small secretariat and can offer the following ways of becoming more involved with our work.
Job opportunities
If you are interested in the work of RECS Energy Certificate Association and would like to contribute to the development of robust EAC systems, please send an email with a clear background and motivation letter to the secretariat: secretariat@recs.org
Student placements
There are various opportunities to conduct research related to energy attribute certificate systems and related topics at RECS Energy Certificate Association. Students are welcome to request a placement position. Please indicate your area of interest and the possible topic(s) you would like to work on, and we will see if there is a match. For more information contact the secretariat: secretariat@recs.org