Renewable energy comes from natural sources that continuously replenish, such as wind, hydro, and solar. Renewable energy produces little or no greenhouse gas emissions. Businesses that use renewable energy can lower their carbon footprint and support the UK’s move to a net zero future.

SSE renewable electricity helps you lower your carbon footprint. Your SSE Green Electricity certificate and logo can show customers and other stakeholders your commitment to the environment and sustainability.

SSE renewable electricity also enables you to report zero emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol using the market-based method for your Scope 2 purchased electricity.

SSE Green Gas and SSE Green Gas Plus allow you to reduce your carbon footprint and demonstrate your green credentials. You’ll get a specially designed logo and certificate to display at work or in business communications to promote your purchase and show you're serious about sustainability.

If you report your greenhouse gas emissions, our Green Gas products make it easy to report reduced emissions for your gas usage. SSE Green Gas and SSE Green Gas Plus allow you to report reduced Scope 1 emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.³

Our Green Gas products are backed by Renewable Gas Guarantees of Origin (RGGOs), which are issued for every kilowatt hour of renewable gas produced from accredited sources. This means you can be sure that the gas grid will be topped up with the same amount of renewable gas your business uses.

We source carbon offsets from Carbon Footprint Ltd, which are independently verified to international standards and approved by the Quality Assurance Standard (QAS).

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHGP), launched in 1998, is the world’s most widely used framework for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. It provides internationally recognised standards and tools that help organisations:

• Measure emissions consistently across operations and supply chains.

• Report transparently to meet regulatory and voluntary requirements.

• Drive climate action by aligning with global sustainability goals.

The GHGP Corporate Standard is the foundational framework for businesses to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions. It helps organisations:

• Create a full emissions inventory for all their operations.

• Group emissions into Scopes 1, 2, and 3 for clear reporting.

• Report consistently and transparently for compliance and sustainability goals.

This standard helps businesses measure their climate impact accurately and align with global sustainability requirements.

The GHGP is currently revising its Scope 2 Guidance, with proposed updates including stricter market-based rules and hourly matching for renewable energy certificates. New standards are expected to be finalised in 2027/28.

The most recent amendment to the GHGP Corporate Standard, Scope 2 Guidance was in January 2015. It introduced changes to the way in which organisations should report their greenhouse gas emissions.

Organisations have to report their emissions according to a “location-based” or “market-based” method.

The location-based method shows the average emissions intensity of the grids where energy is used. It mainly uses grid-average emission factor data. The market-based method shows emissions from electricity that companies have intentionally chosen (or their lack of choice).

Since October 2013, it has been mandatory for FTSE 100 companies to report GHG emissions in their annual reports.

On 1 April 2019, the UK government’s Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) policy came into force. SECR requires around 12,000 companies to report their annual energy consumption and emissions from the energy they buy. As of April 2021, this must also include figures from the previous year. Find out how renewable electricity can help your SECR reporting.

You can report your Scope 2 emissions using the “market-based” reporting method under the GHGP Corporate Standard. Each megawatt hour of the electricity you buy is matched to one REGO, so you can report zero emissions for electricity.

All our renewable electricity is sourced from wind, hydro and solar assets wholly or partly owned by SSE Renewables, our sister company in the SSE Group. The energy market regulator Ofgem provides SSE with a Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificate for each megawatt hour of renewable electricity we generate. These are matched to the purchased electricity on your contract.

REGOs show that the electricity has been generated from renewable sources. Ofgem issues one REGO for every megawatt hour of renewable power that’s fed into the national grid.

With SSE renewable electricity, you get your electricity through the national grid as normal. The difference is that each megawatt hour of your electricity is matched to one REGO, so you can be sure it’s from a renewable source.

The REGO scheme is designed to increase transparency for consumers who wish to buy renewable energy.