GOs vs. voluntary energy attribute tracking schemes

AIB’s core certificate product is the EECS GO, being the guarantee of origin issued by govenmentally mandated organisations. In EU (& EEA & the Energy Community), guarantees of origin draw their strength from their surrounding legislative framework. 

Following assets differentiate these EU legislation-based GOs from voluntary energy attribute tracking systems, like I-TRACK (I-REC(E) etc) and TIGR, which are in place outside the EEA domain, and from carbon offsetting schemes like VERRA, GCC and Gold:

• EU GOs are governed by law, rather than contract – and through EU legislation, every EU member state has a materially similar national legislation regarding the principles of its GO system
• The purpose of the GO is defined and harmonized in EU legislation: “demonstrating to final customers the share or quantity of energy from renewable sources in an energy supplier's energy mix and in the energy supplied to consumers under contracts marketed with reference to the consumption of energy from renewable sources…" (what is generally referred to as “Disclosure”.) GOs are not for carbon offsetting, they convey information on the environmental characteristics of energy between producer and consumer of that energy.
• Legislation guarantees the uniqueness of the GO as representative of the energy attributes, by mandating actionable parties to assure this. Uniqueness of the represented energy from renewable sources is guaranteed, as well at the stage of GO issuance, transfer, cancellation and at their usage. 
  • This is organized not only through the legislation that defines the instrument for disclosure, but also by enforcing the use of GOs for claims of renewable energy supply: through legal disclosure obligations on, GOs are the sole proof for supply of renewable electricity and gas.
  • GOs are issued only under control of the state where the energy is produced, not in external geographies, establishing that the issuer is backed by its national legislation for ensuring the uniqueness of the GO for representing the attributes of the energy..
• The principle of mutual recognition is important for a buyer based in a different member state than the place of production (RED Art 19(9)). This means that the issuance by an issuing body in one state must be respected in all other member states, unless there are "well-founded doubts about its accuracy, reliability or veracity".
• The EU GO system works in interaction with the authority publishing the residual consumption mix in a way that prevents double claims of renewable energy sources and other environmental attributes. The concept of the residual mix provides the energy source mix of energy supply that is not backed by GOs. This includes corrections for cross-border flows of GOs, ensuring that net GO-exporting countries include the nuclear and fossil energy sources that are produced in net GO-importing countries.
• GOs convey the energy source mix and complementary attributes of the product associated with the unit of electricity produced.
• GOs expire after 12 (up to max 18) months, preventing them being used for energy consumption long in history or in the future.
• The EU GO framework is based on objective, non-discriminatory, and transparent criteria for issuing certificates.
• The GO issuer is a unique entity per geographical area and per type of energy production and is governmentally appointed.
• The EU GO relies on accurate, reliable, and fraud-resistant mechanisms for the issuance, transfer and cancellation of guarantees of origin.
• GO issuance, as well as the supervision of their transfer and cancellation of certificates, is entrusted toto a legal entity or entities who are independent from the production, trade of energy, and the corresponding certificates, whose activities are governed by transparent rules and procedures,  whose decisions may be challenged and reviewed in the context of proceedings before an independent judiciary.

These key characteristics make the EU GO a robust instrument for renewable energy consumption claims. 
AIB has limited its geographical scope to the area of reach of this concept: EU, EEA, EFTA and the Energy Community.