Environmental credits and certificates

Manage renewable credits and certificates from generation to retirement.

Discover what ION can do for you

Empowering over 1,200 businesses to achieve a greener future

As the world accelerates efforts to reach net zero emissions, both existing and new players look to take advantage of the unique opportunities stemming from the rise of environmental credits markets. With “ESG” and “green” being core to most businesses’ objectives, all companies (regardless of their participation in voluntary or compliance markets) need a specialized solution that addresses the intricate nature of these markets. ION Commodities solutions simplify the complexity of trading environmental certificates, streamline reporting processes, and unlock valuable insights for more informed trading decisions. Whether you are a utility, a commodity trader, or a refiner, ION’s solutions empower your diversification into renewable credits and certificates, from generation to retirement.

Related sectors

  • Carbon offsets, allowances, and credits

    Companies in both public and private sectors purchase carbon credits from projects that reduce carbon in the atmosphere by increasing carbon storage or removing it entirely. Each credit represents a reduction of one metric ton of carbon. Various mandatory or voluntary schemes exist across the globe.

  • Green certificates and Renewable Energy Certificates (REC/GoO)

    Each certificate represents one megawatt of energy generated from a renewable source like solar, wind, or hydro (to name a few). By generating or trading RECs, businesses can meet their state’s renewable portfolio standards and goals. The European Energy Certificate System has a similar concept called Guarantee of Origin (GoO).

  • Renewable Identification Numbers (RIN/PoS)

    RINs represent a batch of renewable fuel. They’re tracked to ensure compliance with renewable fuel mandates. RINs can be traded by market participants, and retired or “released” once the renewable fuel is blended into gasoline or diesel. Refiners and fuel importers are required to report RINs to the EPA annually. The European Energy Certificate System has a similar concept called Proof of Sustainability (PoS).

  • White certificates and Energy Savings Certificates (ESC)

    These certificates verify that a specific amount of energy savings has been achieved. This can be due to improved business practices or innovative technology that has increased energy efficiency. Each certificate is unique, traceable, and verifies that the energy savings benefit has not already been accounted for.

Value delivered

  • Challenge

    Tracking certificates

    The introduction of green power and renewable fuel certificates has brought a unique set of complexities beyond buying and selling certificates. Your business needs a CTRM solution that can link certificates to production and demand obligations and inventory management to reconcile transactions with registry data/certificate IDs. Regional and commodity variation of certificates result in differing requirements, which can further complicate matters.

    Solution

    Full lifecycle management

    ION’s commodity management solutions help to link generated power or produced biofuel and certificates to your renewable assets or throughout the value chain. This ensures optimized certificate utilization, reliable inventory tracking, and best available position reporting.

  • Challenge

    Attached and detached trading

    Businesses that trade biofuels and renewable fuels certificates have the added complexity of linking certificates to renewable fuel production (attached trading) or keeping certificates and fuel separate (detached trading). Some other challenges include tracking certificate IDs, managing trade lifecycle and reconciliation, and avoiding operational issues and fake certificates.

    Solution

    Fuel and certificates optimization

    ION Commodities provides solutions for managing hydrocarbons, renewable fuels, and environmental certificates trading, operations, and reporting activities. By relying on a unified solution, businesses gain transparency into their supply chains to optimize not only their physical operations and blending, but also their environmental certificates trading and management.

  • Challenge

    Operations and risk management for PPAs and Green Power certificates

    As businesses invest in renewable power and green power certificates, they need a solution capable of managing the contractual details and operations of PPAs and green power certificates. That solution must also provide risk management capabilities to mitigate the volatility of these evolving markets.

    Solution

    Certificate lifecycle management in a single solution

    ION’s solutions serve as a system of record for certificate lifecycle management to ensure that PPAs are properly managed. Our solutions handle complex and non-linear payout structures, regional variations, and inventory management. They also provide a suite of advanced analytics for portfolio risk management.

Certificate markets support
Supply chain transparency
Risk and return metrics
  • A customizable, industry-leading CTRM for utilities and energy companies.

  • A multi-tenant, SaaS CTRM for liquid hydrocarbons and metals traders moving off spreadsheets.

  • Manage your energy transition with a simple, fast trading and inventory solution that covers the full carbon and renewable certificate lifecycle.

  • A suite of leading portfolio risk analytics and asset optimization tools for decision support.

  • A comprehensive, multi-commodity CTRM for industry leaders operating at scale.

  • A CTRM with robust scheduling and logistics capabilities for liquid hydrocarbon companies.

  • An out-of-the-box, multi-commodity CTRM with configurable functionality.

Frequently asked questions

  • Why does my business need a commodity management solution (CMS) for renewable credits and carbon offsets?

    The energy transition is impacting every firm within the energy sector and beyond. For businesses not already participating in voluntary or compliance environmental certificate markets, it’s only a matter of time before they adopt corporate policies or governmental regulations that force their hands. As more regulations are established on emissions and renewable credits, businesses will need solutions that are capable of reporting the intricate details of their certificates trading. Similarly, as more players join carbon offset markets, having a solution dedicated to calculating and reporting carbon footprints and understanding the carbon intensity of various commodities will become increasingly opportunistic. All business will increasingly benefit from having a CMS in place that can keep them informed on developing pricing systems, regulations, and market conditions in the jurisdictions where they operate.

  • With all the buzz about energy transition, as a business involved in fossil fuels, should I hold off on investing in a commodity management solution?

    Commodity management solutions improve operational efficiencies to increase your business’ margins and free up capital for investing in energy transition. While ION’s solutions already support hydrocarbons and environmental certificates, we are continuously innovating our solutions to further assist businesses through their energy transition.

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