RECS International, in collaboration with their partners, members and other stakeholders, has been following the developments around ISO/DIS 14067. There is currently a public consultation for which the RECS International secretariat requests that stakeholders and members take immediate action.

The Corporate Green Sourcing Academy and the Association of Issuing Bodies are organizing an informative webinar: The value of Guarantees of Origin: empowering consumers in the energy transition.

In October 2017 CDP published a new report: “Putting a price on carbon, integrating climate risk into business planning”. The report provides an overview of internal (business) carbon pricing activities by an increasing number of businesses and nations. It elaborates on the impact on business decision making and the relation to climate change measures.

The Guarantee of Origin (GO) has proven to be a reliable tool for allocating (renewable) energy products. Thanks to the GO, electricity can be reliably allocated to individual users, giving the final consumer a choice in their electricity product. Increasingly stakeholders are looking to implement similar book-and-claim systems to other products distributed through a single network, such as hydrogen. HINICIO, ECN, GREXEL, LBST and TÜV SÜD are working together to bring a Europe-wide hydrogen GO scheme to the market. Following the initial phase the CertifHy project is now launching pilot projects across Europe.  

In March 2018 RECS International will be organizing the 8th edition of the REC Market Meeting. RECS International welcomes abstracts from interested speakers.

The draft version of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) has been in development since its initial release by the European Commission earlier this year. The document will need to be reviewed by the European Parliament as well as the European Council before a “trialogue” is started, a process to resolve disagreements between the European Council and the European Parliament. The European Commission is the mediator in this process.

On 25 September RECS International and Agder Energi organized a seminar on the UK renewable energy markets. On 26 September RECS International organized another seminar to discuss the progress of the Renewables Good Practice (ReGP). The ReGP is a guidance document to help stakeholders, producers and end-users of reliably procure renewable electricity.

From October 22 – 24 the Renewable Energy Markets (REM) conference will be held in New York City at the Midtown Hilton Hotel. The two-day event attracts participants who share an interest in and commitment to promoting renewable energy and is organized by the Centre for Resource Solutions. The conference brings forward the latest developments in the US renewables sector, as well as developments on an international level. 

Over the years the Guarantee of Origin (GO) system has increasingly proven its worth in the transition to a renewable economy. There is no alternative when it comes to reliably allocating renewable energy sources from producers to individual consumers in Europe. The significance of a robust attribute tracking system in order to establish a prosperous renewables market has been recognized by European policy makers, international stakeholders and the producers and consumers it is intended for. The market continues to grow every year and the international support and comprehension of the system is likewise growing.