Published in Nature Climate Change, a study lead by researchers from Concordia University show that most companies’ claims regarding greenhouse gas reductions are much less than what their Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) claim to be.

The researchers evaluated 115 large companies’ plan to reduce their greenhouse and climate footprints. The documents they reviewed include strategies these companies plan to take, including RECs they purchased.

RECs are purchased from entities that makes sure the purchasing companies meet a, supposedly, strict criteria to improve their environmental footprints through renewable energy sources. The researchers found that promises made by both REC distributing groups and the companies were way undershot compared to what was supposed to be. Overall, while the 115 companies were claiming to reduce gas emissions by 30% from 2015 to 2019, the reality was only 10%. Moreover, the researchers also found that the REC entities themselves were doing little to reinforce their own certification to insure their standards are met…nor did they care.

It should be of no surprise that certifications and companies do not live up to their promises. Based on their study, the research team also outlined recommendation to governing emissions by corporations and how REC entities are accountable for their own standards they set.

Clearly, the people behind REC and those that run companies are not men (or women) of their words. Be men of your words and hold yourself to the standards you set, and set them high.

A Bjørn et al. Renewable energy certificates threaten the integrity of corporate science-based targets, Nature Climate Change.  DOI: 10.1038/s41558-022-01379-5