There are many organizations that develop standards and certifications to advance a clean energy agenda. These groups work on local, state, and national levels to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, and develop innovative solutions to environmental issues.
A comprehensive list of organizations that reference Green-e® certification in their requirements or guidelines is compiled in Green-e® References and Endorsements.
10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). The 10-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production patterns (10YFP) is a global framework of action to enhance international cooperation to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in both developed and developing countries. CRS is a member of the 10YFP Consumer Information Programme for Sustainable Consumption and Production (CI-SCP), which is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). CI-SCP serves as a global platform to support the provision of quality information on goods and services, and it promotes the identification and implementation of the most effective strategies to engage consumers in sustainable consumption. It empowers and raises the profile of relevant policies, strategies, projects, and partnerships by building synergies and cooperation between different stakeholders to leverage resources toward mutual goals. [For more information, see the 10YFP website]
AASHE STARS is the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System—a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. A project of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), STARS is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities—from community colleges to research universities, and from institutions just starting their sustainability programs to long-time campus sustainability leaders. Institutions that are pursuing a STARS Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum rating earn points for purchased RECs that are Green-e® Energy certified. Green-e® Energy and Green-e® Climate are referenced in points awarded for measuring and reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions (OP 2) and generating, using, and/or purchasing Clean and Renewable Energy (OP 6) in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) v2.2. CRS is proud to be a STARS Partner Organization, joining other higher education associations and non-profit organizations to provide value to the development and promotion of STARS. [For more information, see the STARS website]
B Corp. Certified B Corporations meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental standards and legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of interests of all stakeholders, including employees, suppliers, community and the environment. B Lab is the nonprofit organization that certifies and rates B Corporations through its B Ratings System. By becoming a B Corporation, companies leverage their leadership to influence the market beyond the success of their individual company, helping to build a new sector of the economy which harnesses the power of private enterprise for public benefit. Over the long term, the growing B Corporation community builds constituency for the creation of mission-aligned capital markets and tax, investment, and purchasing incentives for B Corporations. [For more information, see the B Corporation website]
Canada Green Building Council. The Canada Green Building Council is a not-for-profit, national organization that has been working since 2002 to advance green building and sustainable community development practices in Canada. The CaGBC is the Canadian license holder for the LEED green building rating system and supports the WELL Building Standard in Canada. The CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Design and Performance Standards Version 2 list Green-e® certified renewable energy and/or carbon offsets under its requirements.
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). CDP encourages companies and cities to disclose their environmental impacts, giving decisionmakers the data they need to change market behavior. It holds the largest collection globally of self-reported climate change, water, and forest-risk data, and uses the power of measurement and information disclosure to improve the management of environmental risk. By leveraging market forces including shareholders, customers, and governments, CDP has incentivized thousands of companies and cities across the world's largest economies to measure and disclose their environmental information. In addition to the issuance, tracking of properties and guarantee of the chain of custody, there can be certification schemes that will testify for the appropriate use of an instrument for a given purpose. These certification systems (or labels) can be based on appropriate tracking systems and add important assurances and quality criteria. Green-e® is cited as an example of a certification system in the U.S. [For more information, see the CDP website]
The City and County of Denver oversees the Cannabis Sustainability Work Group (CSWG). Its mission is to promote sustainability in the cannabis industry through education, the development and dissemination of best practices, and the facilitation of dialogue between the cannabis industry, the community, and technical experts. Green-e® is cited in CSWG's Cannabis Environmental Best Management Practices Guide 2022. The guide provides cannabis cultivation businesses with a snapshot of relevant sustainable practices and a starting point for process optimization techniques that facilitate continual improvement. The Guide was written with input from sustainability experts and numerous stakeholders in the cannabis industry. [For more information, see the CSWG website].
Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC). Dynamic efficiency gains in the nation's model energy code can mean billions of dollars in utility bill savings for home and commercial building owners/occupants, more stable electricity grids, reduced reliance on energy imports and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. After uniting leaders in the policy, business, construction, utility, low-income advocacy and environmental arenas to win a 30% efficiency boost in America's model energy code, the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition is now campaigning to put future IECCs on a path of continued progress. EECC also mounts "SWAT Teams" designed to convince local and state policymakers to adopt the 2012 IECC as their building energy code. [For more information, see the EECC website]
The EPA Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that supports the organizational procurement of green power by offering expert advice, technical support, tools and resources. CRS is a Green Power Partner and has qualified to be part of the 100% Green Power Purchaser list, which represents those organizations that are buying green power to meet 100 percent of their U.S. organization-wide electricity use. Partnering with EPA can help your organization lower the transaction costs of buying green power, reduce its carbon footprint, and communicate its leadership to key stakeholders. Green power is electricity produced from a subset of renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and low-impact hydro. Buying green power is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your organization’s environmental performance. [For more information, see the EPA Green Power Partnership website]
The Global Electronics Council (GEC) is a nonprofit on a mission to increase the sustainability of how IT products are designed, manufactured and purchased. Its EPEAT program, the leading global ecolabel for IT products, establishes leadership criteria that address a broad range of sustainability impacts, including climate change, and provides independent verification of manufacturers’ claims. The EPEAT online Registry helps private and public large-scale purchasers around the world find more sustainable IT products. EPEAT’s Computers and Displays Category criteria requires manufacturers to demonstrate their renewable energy supply is third party certified to the Green-e® Renewable Energy Standard for Canada and the United States, or equivalent where not available. [For more information, see the GEC website].
The Green Restaurant Association was established in 1990 to advance the Green Restaurant® movement by encouraging restaurants to increase the sustainability of their operations by using transparent, science-based certification standards. Operating across 41 states and Canada, the GRA touches upon all areas of the industry, including restaurants, manufacturers and distributors. The certification focuses on seven key areas of environmental sustainability: Energy, Water, Waste, Food, Chemicals, Disposable, and Building. For the energy portion of the certification, purchasing Green-e® Energy Certified RECs is listed as the preferred method to earn points towards certification [For more information, see the GRA website].
International Code Council (ICC) is a member-focused association dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Many U.S. communities and global markets choose the ICC-published International Codes® (I-Codes®) as their adopted codes, or work with ICC on a custom version of the codes. The 2021 International Green Construction Code references the Standard. [For more information, see the International Code Council (ICC) website]
International Living Future Institute is a non-profit organization offering green building and infrastructure solutions with a mission to lead and support the transformation toward communities that are socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative. The Institute administers the Living Building Challenge, a building performance standard that puts itself forward as a philosophy, an advocacy tool, and a certification program. Version 4.0 of the standard requires Green-e® Climate certification for purchased carbon offsets. [For more information, see the International Living Future Institute website]
MeetGreen® works with progressive global organizations to integrate sustainable practices and produce conferences and events rooted in sustainability. With nearly 30 years of direct assessment experience in the built environment, MeetGreen assembled and refined one of the largest repositories of data on the planet regarding the convening of people, nuances of their choices and supply chains, as well as their associated wide-ranging environmental impacts. In the MeetGreen® Event Calculator, Green-e® is referenced as an example of an acceptable third-party certification required for any carbon offset procured. [For more information, see MeetGreen® Website]
Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) is a non-profit organization that strives to achieve a more sustainable supply chain, particularly in printing and packaging. Its members include manufacturers, sellers, and other supporting organizations within the industry. SGP's Certification program highlights their members who demonstrate best practices in sustainability throughout the life cycle of printing products. As of September 2022, the Center for Resource Solutions has become a Resource Partner for SGP. SGP highlights the Green-e® Marketplace program on their Resource Partner webpage. [For more information, see the SGP website].
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council is a nonprofit organization with the mission to support and recognize purchasing leadership that accelerates the transition to a prosperous and sustainable future. Its Guidance for Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing recommends purchasing Green-e® Energy certified renewable energy for businesses that want to reduce the environmental impact of their electricity use. The guidance is intended to help organizations of all sizes reduce the environmental, social, and economic impact of their supply chains. It includes a section on reducing the impact of electricity use, and recommends both implementing energy conservation measures and buying Green-e® Energy certified renewable energy. [For more information, see the SPLC guidance]
The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC is the developer of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) LEED green building certification program and the convenor of the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. Projects seeking LEED certification can earn LEED points for buying renewable energy that is Green-e® Energy. [For more information, see the USGBC website].