Powering Impact: Unlocking the Value of Additionality in Renewable Energy Procurement

A person with glasses and dark hair smiling at the camera, wearing a dark shirt, indoors with warm lighting.

Ricardo Hernandez

Renewable Energy Sourcing Associate

Group of children and volunteers posing outdoors with several large solar panels, in front of a rustic building and green trees.

As corporate climate strategies mature, the focus is shifting from is renewable energy used to what renewable energy is used. Companies are increasingly seeking solutions that go beyond decarbonization, prioritizing quality, impact, credibility, and alignment with broader sustainability goals.

In this Insights piece, Ricardo Hernandez, our Renewable Energy Sourcing Associate, explores how additionality-focused Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), including the EKOenergy label and Peace Renewable Energy Credits (P-RECs), are enabling organizations to deepen their sustainability commitments through quality, high-impact procurement.

These instruments present a natural next step for companies already investing in high-quality carbon credits, offering a way to integrate additionality into their renewable energy strategies and demonstrate measurable climate impact.

Understanding Additionality in the EAC Market

In today’s evolving global EAC landscape, additionality has become a defining principle for impact-led procurement. While conventional EACs verify the use of renewable electricity, additionality-linked instruments go further – supporting the development of new projects and delivering verified environmental and social co-benefits, such as energy access in developing countries and biodiversity protection.

For climate-conscious companies, this evolution bridges two worlds: pairing carbon credit strategies with renewable electricity solutions that deliver tangible, real-world outcomes.

EKOenergy: Certified Impact in Every MWh

EKOenergy is an internationally recognized label for renewable electricity, applied only to EACs that meet strict environmental and social sustainability criteria, and contributing to real world additionality. Company can buy the EKOenergy label by purchasing an energy attribute certificate (EAC) that is eligible under the EKOenergy ecolabel, which is certified upon retirement.

It brings unique added value through:

Additionality via Climate Fund Contributions: A portion of every MWh sold funds the installation of new renewable energy projects in developing countries with low-energy access.
Stringent Sustainability Standards: Only electricity from facilities that meet EKOenergy’s stringent sustainability criteria, e.g., protecting against negative environmental, biodiversity, and cultural impacts, can be certified with the label.
Recognition Across Frameworks: EKOenergy-labelled EACs are accepted and encouraged under CDP, RE100, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, enabling credible reporting and target alignment.

By sourcing EKOenergy-labelled EACs, companies demonstrate a commitment not just to renewable power, but to the highest quality and additionality promoting renewable power procurement.

A group of smiling schoolchildren in white shirts and red shorts pose together outdoors, some raising hands, with a large solar panel array and school buildings in the background. — Solar panel project in Indonesia - EKOenergy

Two people inspect a large solar panel array mounted on metal supports in an outdoor rural area, with one person pointing and the other wearing a backpack. — Clean energy project in Myanmar to alleviate poverty - EKOenergy

Two people stand on a weathered wooden platform over a shallow rocky stream in a forest, carrying buckets as they gather water or artifacts. — Clean energy project focused on promoting river biodiversity and restoration - EKOenergy

Group of people installing and inspecting large solar panels outdoors in a desert-like area, with a mix of traditional clothing and a safety vest. — Solar panels being installed by workers - EKOenergy

P-RECs: Delivering Renewable Energy and Energy Access

Peace Renewable Energy Credits (P-RECs) are a unique type of International Renewable Energy Certificate (I-REC) label that channels investment into high-impact regions. These are areas vulnerable to violent conflict, environmental degradation, and energy poverty, where access to renewable energy is limited and its potential impact is significant.

Managed by Energy Peace Partners, P-RECs go beyond emissions reductions to deliver social and developmental benefits, including:

Energy Access and Resilience: Each EAC funds new renewable energy infrastructure in fragile, underserved regions - such as South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo & Haiti. Increasing access to energy and building resilience in these regions.
Audited Impact Delivery: P-RECs fund projects that support peacebuilding, economic development, and access to clean energy – ensuring all impacts are audited and verifiable.
Story-Driven Procurement: Companies sourcing P-RECs often leverage the tangible narratives of impact in their sustainability reporting and stakeholder communications.

For companies looking to pair Scope 2 action with energy justice, P-RECs offer a powerful tool to address both environmental and social impact. Guidance on how to incorporate P-RECs into your sustainability strategy is available here.

Aerial view of a solar farm with many solar panels in neat rows, adjacent buildings, a dirt road, and a dry desert landscape with sparse trees and distant hills. — P-REC funds finance street lighting for Mongo Hospital and Mongo University areas - Energy Peace Partners and ZIZ Energie

Solar panels line a dirt road between rows of white tents in a temporary camp, with a lamp post, sparse vegetation, and clear sky overhead. — P-RECs replace diesel generators at a humanitarian hub managed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - Energy Peace Partners

Aerial view of a town with a large solar farm feature: long rows of solar panels on open fields, surrounded by houses, greenery, and a distant coastline. — Largest off-grid system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Energy Peace Partners

A Holistic Climate Strategy: Pairing EACs with Carbon Credits

Companies already investing in carbon credits can amplify their impact by integrating additionality-focused EACs like EKOenergy and P-RECs. Together, they support:

Scope 2 Emissions Reductions
Alignment with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and RE100 pathways
Stronger sustainability storytelling and reputational resilience
Progress toward the UN' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically, but not limited to, SDG 7 Energy Access and SDG 13 - climate action, as well as SDG 14 Life below Water, SDG 15 Life on Land and SDG 16 Peace, Justice, and Strong institutions.

This integrated approach positions companies as leaders in climate integrity – moving beyond offsets to real-world transformation in the energy sector.

Our Role: Supporting Your High-Impact Procurement Journey

As an authorized seller of both EKOenergy-labelled EACs and P-RECs, Climate Impact Partners brings deep market expertise and trusted sourcing capabilities. We work closely with clients and generators to craft renewable electricity portfolios that match climate goals, meet reporting frameworks, and deliver measurable impact.