1 EU ETS led the way for carbon markets This model is now getting - PDF document

The AIB – Association of Issuing Bodies is a not-for-profit European organisation, Members are the agencies responsible for issuing and management of Guarantees of Origin (GOs) in 20 countries 1

EU ETS led the way for carbon markets This model is now getting following all around the world 2

Europe is leading in many areas. Guarantees of Origin (GOs) are a powerful – albeit somewhat abstract and therefore sometimes hard to explain – instrument. This model is getting more and more following all over the world too. 3

Electricity has some unique characteristics. With one source feeding the electricity grid, all is clear. With several sources (renewable, fossil, nuclear) electricity consumers receive a mix, physically speaking. There is no way to distinguish power according to its source once it is on the grid. So we need Guarantees of Origin (GOs) as a tracking instrument to reliably and efficiently prove green electricity contracts. Otherwise, claims about supplying or consuming electricity from renewable sources could be made by electricity suppliers and clients without any firm ground. 4

Guarantees of Origin for proving the origin of electricity from renewable sources are a success! About 500 TWh of electricity was claimed by consumers in 2017 in the EECS area alone 5

Why is there such demand for electricity from renewable sources? Because more and more consumers (both corporate consumers and – in a number of countries – households) care about what they consume: food, clothes, energy… Consumers are willing to pay a premium for products with certain characteristics 6

Authenticity matters for more and more consumers! 7

So what are the key succes factors behind the GO for electricity from renewable sources (RES)? Europe created a legal mandate for the instrument and each member state must assign a single issuing body. 8

But that was not enough to ensure order… The system worked fine within one single country 9

But in order for the instrument to work for Europe, it needed to be standardised 10

Otherwise, you get this… Why did I forget to bring my adapter? 11

The Association of Issuing Bodies developed the European Energy Certificate System, a rulebook which acts as a de facto, bottom-up standard This makes efficient international exchange of GOs possible in a trustworthy manner 12

EECS is the standard that makes the national pieces fit into the European puzzle! 13

This exchange is made cost-efficient by the AIB HUB, connecting all national registries in which GOs are managed The combination of EECS rules and HUB make the system efficient and reliable Finally, the GO-system has a very clear purpose: to inform the consumer, to empower the choices they make 14

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