Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) are a critical tool for corporations aiming to reduce their Scope 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. These certificates allow companies to match their electricity consumption with renewable energy generation (one REC represents one megawatt-hour (MWh) of clean energy).  While RECs are not a substitute for direct energy reduction or other decarbonization efforts like energy efficiency projects and equipment upgrades, they play a valuable role in a comprehensive sustainability strategy by sending market signals for demand. In this article, we will explore ..read more

Wherever you are on your sustainability journey, data is a critical component to guiding your path. To truly understand our environmental impact and craft effective decarbonization strategies, we must embrace a data-driven approach. While the significance of data in measuring carbon footprints, managing energy, and mitigating environmental impact is clear, the path to automation, though desirable, is riddled with challenges. Herein, we will delve into the intricacies of data management in sustainability, specifically as it relates to carbon and energy, and explore the road to automation, inclu ..read more

Amidst the flurry of attention surrounding the recently adopted SEC climate disclosure rule, it’s important to step back and consider other recent climate regulations reshaping the corporate climate-related disclosure landscape. Notably, California’s (CA’s) Senate Bill (SB) 253 “Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act” and SB 261 “Greenhouse Gases: climate-related financial risk” have emerged as formidable pillars of corporate climate accountability. Concurrently, the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) contributes to global regulatory momentum towards enhanc ..read more

The Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC) voted today (March 6, 2024) to adopt a scaled-back version of its long-awaited proposed climate disclosure rule, formally titled “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.” The vote comes two years after the proposed rule’s draft language was released in March of 2022. The final rule, which will take effect 60 days following publication in the Federal Register, applies to all United States (US) based publicly traded companies.  What does the final rule require? The adopted version of the rule includes mate ..read more

By Bobby Astrich, Head of Product Appetite for clean energy is at an all-time high, with corporations and utilities both racing to meet gigawatt-scale demand to drive grid decarbonization, help companies reduce their carbon footprint, and make progress towards ambitious net zero goals. That appetite – alongside increasing disclosure requirements – is ramping up demand for more granular and auditable data on clean energy sourcing, especially from corporate and industrial customers. For many utilities, however, clean energy sourcing and delivery happens across a range of functions and data silos ..read more

The growth of markets and registries for Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) have enabled companies to book and claim large amounts of renewable energy (or simply the environmental attributes) in markets different than the ones they are operating in. For utilities and power producers, the creation and trading of RECs has created new challenges that requires detailed and consistent data: managing RECs for compliance purposes, such as state Renewable Portfolio Standards, and for utilities in particular, ensuring sufficient supply and allocation for renewable energy programs aimed at commercial a ..read more

For corporate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the time to start making progress is now. But if you’re spearheading a massive reduction effort—spanning multiple regions, countries, or even continents—where do you begin to create an impact? Companies that wish to reduce their carbon footprint often start by offsetting their electricity consumption with Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). These credits may come from a marketplace, virtual power purchase agreements (essentially buying bulk RECs from a specific project over a period of time), or green tariff programs through a utility. They may ..read more

After receiving and reviewing over 12,000 public comments  by late fall 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is finally set to finalize its much-anticipated rules on climate-focused disclosures in April 2023. In addition, the European Union recently finalized its own Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which has even more stringent reporting requirements, including for companies not headquartered in the EU but that have substantial branches or subsidiaries there. Both sets of regulations create massive implications for how corporations will have to track and report ..read more

24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) as a strategy is often looked at as near-impossible, or at least unaffordable–but Iron Mountain recently announced a landmark deal that is poised to challenge the skeptics. Iron Mountain’s innovative 24/7 CFE solution for data center customers–in partnership with RPD Energy, Direct Energy and Cleartrace–is providing a strong model, backed by automated and auditable hourly data on their energy and carbon emissions, for companies to follow as they look to rein in emissions from data center use in their operations and supply chains. Iron Mountain’s new solution is go ..read more

As the world continues to set new dangerous global temperature highs and lows, corporations must take action to mitigate climate change. When it comes to measuring (and limiting) carbon emissions, the goals business leaders set are their north star for short-, medium- and long-term action.. That’s why it’s important to understand these goal-setting options, as they impact how an organization collectively measures their carbon emissions and whether or not they can rely on offsets to compensate for those projections. But which goal leads to the best decision making—both for corporate goals and f ..read more