Options for labelling to promote new RES production

The objective of the study is to provide technical support to the European Commission, DG ENER, according to the reporting obligations under Art. 19(13) of the Renewables Directive: “By 31 December 2025, the Commission shall adopt a report assessing options to establish a Union-wide green label with a view to promoting the use of renewable energy generated by new installations. Suppliers shall use the information contained in guarantees of origin to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of such a label.” This report therefore builds on the previous technical report from 2021 for the assessment of options for establishing a Union-wide green label with a view to promoting the use of renewable energy generated by new installations (which was also prepared by a consortium including Oeko-Institut and which is available here. The current update of the study aims to: 

• map the labelling landscape and discuss impacts on consumer awareness and market signals; 
• develop and discuss options for a union-wide label (at least covering the options developed in 2021); 
• discuss the requirements for award criteria of the various labelling options; 
• evaluate the legal implications of establishing any of the options against the changes in the regulatory landscape;
• select the most feasible options; and 
• assess and compare the impact of the most relevant options. 

The report concludes that while green energy labels have limited quantifiable impact on the market, they can add benefits for the consumers interested in the respective criteria. Since the markets across the EU differ too much regarding what “premium” criteria could be, it is advisable to not define a single definition across the EU, but rather support the local (per MS) implementation of green energy labels and provide overall orientation in the landscape via e.g. positive lists.