The instrument by market
| Where you use electricity | Certificate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | US RECs | Tracked in regional registries such as PJM-GATS, M-RETS and WREGIS. Green-e is an optional certification label. |
| European Union and other AIB members | Guarantees of Origin | Issued and transferred through national registries linked by the AIB hub. |
| United Kingdom | REGOs | Issued by Ofgem. RE100 treats the UK as its own market. |
| Australia | LGCs | Created in the Clean Energy Regulator's REC Registry. |
| China | GECs | The only recognised instrument. I-REC issuance in China ended in March 2025. |
| Japan | Non-fossil certificates, J-Credits | Non-fossil certificates are sold through public JEPX auctions. |
| India | I-RECs or national RECs | ICX became the local I-REC issuer in September 2024. National RECs trade on the power exchanges. |
| Türkiye | I-RECs or YEK-G | YEK-G is the national scheme run by EPİAŞ. A plant cannot be in both. Check how your reporting framework treats each. |
| Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and other I-REC countries | I-RECs | The certificate must be issued in the same country as your consumption. |
Rules that trip buyers up
Market boundary
Under RE100's criteria, the certificate and the consumption must be in the same market, which usually means the same country. A Brazilian I-REC does not cover a factory in Vietnam, and a European Guarantee of Origin does not cover a UK site. Buying more certificates in one market than you consume there does not offset another market.
Plant age
Since 1 January 2024, RE100 requires at least 85% of a member's claims to come from plants commissioned or repowered within the last 15 years. Older plants can supply the remaining 15%. Contracts signed before 2024 are grandfathered.
Redemption in your name
A certificate supports your claim only once it is redeemed, or cancelled, for your legal entity, for the right reporting period. Keep the registry's redemption statement: it is the evidence an auditor will ask for.
Hourly matching is not required yet
The GHG Protocol is revising its Scope 2 guidance and folding it into a joint standard with ISO. Its next consultation is planned for the second quarter of 2027 and publication for the fourth quarter of 2028. Until then, annual market-based accounting with certificates remains the rule.
This guide is a summary for orientation, not advice. Reporting frameworks differ and change. Confirm the requirements that apply to you with your framework's own documentation or your auditor.