RE100 standard - what are the goals and principles of this global initiative?

RE100 - what is it and what is its importance for sustainable development?

The international RE100 initiative was born in 2014 at the New York Climate Summit. Its goal was to bring together companies that would commit to obtaining electricity exclusively from renewable sources by 2040 at the latest. Ten years ago, the RE100 standards were accepted by the following corporations:

• Ingka Group (IKEA Group),
• Swiss RE,
• BT,
• Commerzbank,
• Fia Formula E,
• H&M,
• KPN,
• Mars,
• Nestle,
• Signify (Philips),
• RELX (Reed Elsevier).

The portfolio may seem modest, but today, after 10 years, RE100 includes more than 400 companies, including many organizations based in Asia and South America. Nor did it take long for RE100 to attract the giants known to the press. Nikon, Apple, Google and other widely recognized corporations joined the program within its first 2 years.

Today, thanks to RE100, the global economy “saves” more than 100 terawatt hours per year. That's enough to power France. And if all members of the initiative were considered as a separate country, its electricity needs would place it among the world's top 10 countries with the greatest electricity needs.

A fundamental goal of RE100 is to accelerate the energy transition so that it is based as much as possible on renewable energy. With greater use of RES, the carbon footprint decreases, environmental risks disappear. There is also no doubt that RE100 members tout participation in environmentally friendly activities as an advertisement. To be on this list is highly prestigious!

RE100 standard - what are its main goals and benefits?

The RE100 initiative is most active in regions of the world where access to renewable energy sources is severely limited or non-existent. It is based on six principles that together form the RE100 policy.

#1 Equal rules

RE100 is about creating a market where renewable energy sources can compete on a level playing field with classic fossil fuels. In this way, consumers have the opportunity to make an informed choice of energy source, taking into account the cost-benefit ratio.

2 Legislative environment

The focus of RE100 is on proposing changes to community and local laws that will create favorable conditions for reaching out to renewable energy sources.

#3 Creating energy markets

RE100 member companies can lobby for the creation of electricity markets, where it will be possible to dynamically sell and buy RES in the amount needed by buyers. The Polish Power Exchange, for example, serves this purpose.

#4 Cooperation with suppliers of RES technology

In order for renewable energy sources to become widely available, it is necessary to equip companies with the infrastructure necessary to use RES. This can range from photovoltaic panels and energy storage to wind or hydroelectric power plants.

5 Promoting onsite and offsite RES investments

One of the goals of RE100 is to promote investments in onsite and offsite RES. The former include photovoltaic panels or carports for charging company cars. Access to offsite RES, on the other hand, involves using solutions located far from the company. For this purpose, PPAs are signed with electricity suppliers. The company can also apply for color certificates. Interestingly, they are not a Polish invention. In the United States there is a similar solution known as RECs (Renewable Energy Credits).

#6 Supporting EACs, or environmental certificates.

The RE100 assumptions support a credible system of EACs (Environmental Attribute Certificates). Certificates can be traded and allow the source of the energy used by a company to be determined. In this way, it can be determined whether the organization is actually meeting goals that coincide with those of the group as a whole.

RE100 requirements - what must companies meet to join the initiative?

A company that wants to be on the RE100 list must meet certain criteria. You can find a detailed description of the requirements and exemptions on the RE100 website, so we will focus only on the most important points.
First of all, only companies with a minimum monthly electricity demand of 100 GWh per year can apply for membership. Smaller organizations can still receive membership, but they must meet additional requirements, such as being a key market player in RE100's area of influence.

Full energy independence must be achieved by 2050 at the latest, with RES use at a minimum:

• 60% by 2030,
• 90% by 2040.

Requirements may be set at a lower level for less prosperous countries, particularly those in Africa, Asia and South America. The entire industrial process - from production to transportation to the use of electricity - is taken into account as the demand for electricity. In the case of capital groups, as a rule, all related entities are taken into account.
The information made available by RE100 companies is a huge amount of data. In order to be able to aggregate it all in one place, the initiative calls for the annual submission of the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project). Importantly, a positive assessment of the report is necessary for a company to declare publicly that it has met the energy independence goal or one of the intermediate goals. This ensures that all members of the initiative are evaluated according to the same criteria.

Which companies cannot apply for RE100 membership?

The RE100 initiative assumes that companies will act not only fairly towards the energy market, but also with a high level of public awareness. First of all, by applying for accession, the organization takes a pledge that it will not, among other things, lobby for or against conventional energy resources, or increase its market share in conventional energy resources. It also declares that it will pay attention to human rights violations and criminal activities within its structure.
What's more, applications for membership from companies that operate exclusively in one of the following areas will not be considered:

• conventional energy sources,
• ammunition production,
• tobacco production,
• aerial means of transportation,
• gambling.

If a company operates in several markets, including a prohibited area, the application will be evaluated individually.

RE100 guidelines - how can companies achieve 100% renewable energy?

Pursuing energy independence can be done in a number of ways, and each company should take care to develop its own strategy. In addition to photovoltaics, a company can pursue colored certificates, sign PPAs and gradually replace infrastructure. An excellent example is the use of electric cars, heat pumps, RES-powered heating, or hydrogen boilers. The possibilities are many - contact us. We will help you develop a green growth plan!