RE100

RE100. RE100 is a global corporate leadership initiative, led by the international non-profit Climate Group in partnership with CDP, that brings together hundreds of the world's most influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. Its members, which include major multinationals from diverse sectors, publicly commit to sourcing all of their global electricity consumption from renewable energy sources like wind power, solar power, and geothermal energy by a specified target year. The initiative aims to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon grid by increasing corporate demand for renewable power, thereby driving market change and supporting global climate goals such as those outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Overview

Launched at the 2014 Climate Week NYC, RE100 was established by the Climate Group to create a powerful market signal for renewable energy development. The initiative operates under the broader mission of the We Mean Business Coalition, a consortium of organizations working with companies on climate action. The core principle is that by aggregating the purchasing power and influence of large corporations, RE100 can significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity generation. This corporate demand helps to scale up renewable energy capacity, reduce costs through economies of scale, and encourage policy makers in regions from the European Union to Southeast Asia to support cleaner energy infrastructure. The secretariat, based in London, provides technical guidance and aggregates collective progress reports.

Membership and criteria

Membership is open to for-profit companies of all sizes with significant electricity consumption, spanning industries from technology and consumer goods to heavy manufacturing and finance. Prominent members include Apple Inc., Google, Microsoft, Nestlé, and BMW. To join, companies must set a public, ambitious target date for achieving 100% renewable electricity and report progress annually through CDP's disclosure system. RE100 defines renewable electricity as power from sources that naturally replenish, primarily encompassing generation from solar photovoltaic systems, wind farms, hydropower plants, and bioenergy, while excluding sources like nuclear power. Members can meet their goals through a combination of strategies such as purchasing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), investing in on-site generation like solar panels, and buying Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or their international equivalents like Guarantees of Origin in the European Union.

Impact and achievements

The collective impact of RE100 members has been substantial, creating a major demand-side driver for the global energy transition. By the mid-2020s, the initiative's members were collectively consuming more renewable electricity annually than entire nations like Spain or Australia. This demand has spurred the development of new wind power and solar power projects worldwide, particularly in key markets like the United States, India, and Mexico. The initiative has also influenced corporate practices by standardizing reporting and promoting best practices in renewable energy procurement. Furthermore, the aggregated voice of RE100 has been influential in policy dialogues, advocating for stronger renewable energy policies at forums like the COP summits and with entities such as the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Challenges and criticisms

Despite its successes, RE100 and its members face several challenges. A primary issue is the geographical disparity in access to affordable and reliable renewable energy, with companies operating in regions like East Asia or parts of Africa facing more difficult grid electricity infrastructures and regulatory hurdles. Critics have also scrutinized the reliance on instruments like RECs, arguing that in some markets they may not always guarantee additional new renewable generation. There is an ongoing debate about the initiative's scope, as it focuses solely on grid-purchased electricity and does not address the full spectrum of a company's greenhouse gas emissions, including those from transportation or industrial processes, which are covered by other frameworks like the Science Based Targets initiative.

Related initiatives

RE100 is part of a broader ecosystem of corporate climate action coalitions. It is closely aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which focuses on comprehensive emission reduction targets, and EV100, a sister campaign under the Climate Group promoting electric vehicle adoption. Other complementary global efforts include the Carbon Disclosure Project run by CDP, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative. In the renewable energy procurement space, initiatives like the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance in the United States and the Asia-Pacific-focused RE-Source Platform work on similar goals of aggregating corporate demand and breaking down market barriers. Category:Climate change organizations Category:Renewable energy organizations Category:Environmental organizations based in the United Kingdom