The demand for energy certificates and their capabilities in general is driven by many factors. Within this page we outline some of the key motives which have encouraged the increase in renewable and sustainable energy demand. Here you can read about:

The UNFCCC & COPs	The Climate Group
The Kyoto Protocol	The GHG Protocol
The Paris Agreement	ISO14064
UN Sustainable Development Goals	Fuel Mix Disclosure
Renewable Energy Targets	UK FIT/CFD Exemptions
The Re-Diss Project

In December 1997 the Conference held in Kyoto, Japan agreed the text of what is now called the Kyoto Protocol

The meeting was facilitated by the Earth Summit (1992) in Rio de Janeiro where countries initially joined the international treaty titled the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by commits industrialised countries and economies to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with pre-agreed individual targets

It stipulated explicit and quantitative targets for countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the period of 2008 to 2012 when compared to 1990 levels

The Kyoto Protocol imposed legally binding emissions objectives on nations and allowed their national commitments to be met through mechanisms such as emissions trading

This could be achieved by trading emissions credits and were represented in the form of green certificates, emission reduction certificates and forms of renewable obligation certificates

The Kyoto Protocol commits industrialised countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with pre-agreed individual targets

In Doha (2012), the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol was adopted for a second commitment period, starting in 2013 and lasting until 2020

The Paris Climate Agreement (2015) replaced the Kyoto Protocol

By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

Always unblock YouTube

By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more

Load video

Always unblock YouTube

Over 60 countries worldwide have established renewable energy policies and targets in relation to electricity. Those targets typically form part of a Government’s legislation which requires that electricity suppliers source specific proportions of their total electricity sales from renewable energy sources, within a given time frame

The purpose of such schemes is to promote renewable energy and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. As the cost of renewable power production becomes cheaper than those from using alternative sources, meeting and exceeding a renewable energy target will in turn reduce the cost of electricity to consumers

Renewable electricity can be produced by a wide variety of sources including wind, solar, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass. By diversifying the renewable generation mix in order to meet energy needs, the EU lowers its dependence on imported fossil fuels and makes its energy production more sustainable

In Europe, all countries had adopted national renewable energy action plans to demonstrate the actions which they intend to take in order to meet their renewables targets by 2020

Countries within the EU had set their own individual renewable energy targets which ranged from 10% consumption in Malta to 49% consumption in Sweden. Furthermore, there had been a requirement for each nation to have at least 10% of its transport fuel sourced from renewables by 2020

In Europe, 28 European Union member states had set legally binding renewable energy targets. The EU had a baseline target of 20% by 2020, as the IRENA chart documents below

The RE-DISS project aimed to improve the reliability and accuracy of the information given to consumers of electricity in Europe. This was done through documenting the origin of the electricity which is consumed

This information is ultimately given to all consumers through the regime disclosure, which is a requirement on all European suppliers of electricity

The first phase of the RE-DISS project was launched in 2010 and resulted in recommendations on how to implement and correctly administer guarantees of origin as the mechanism of disclosure. Guarantees of Origin (GOs) were created by the RES Directive and the Cogeneration Directive

RE-DISS II saw the introduction of the annual electricity residual mix and subsequent calculation methodology, which is to be used in all European countries where the origin of consumed electricity is unknown through disclosure. It also saw the development of best practice recommendations towards the Competent Bodies that regulate disclosure systems, and saw the development of country profiles for the EU28+CH+IS+NO nations. These described the respective national systems for guarantees of origin

The overall objectives of RE-DISS were to:

– Support Competent Bodies in improving their GO and disclosure systems

– Allow for a coordinated operation of tracking and disclosure policies by providing centrally processed data to Competent Bodies and market actors

– Monitor the implementation of policies related to tracking of electricity as imposed by EU Directives

– Develop methods, processes and governance structures needed for central coordination of a European Tracking System

– Develop recommendations and guidelines both to Competent Bodies and to other stakeholders helping to improve the informative value of disclosure for end consumers