RECs vs Carbon Offsets: Which Does Your Business Need?
By Maurizio Giorda · 7 Jul 2026 in Corporate planting
RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) address your electricity: one REC proves 1 MWh of renewable power was generated. Carbon offsets address your emissions: one credit compensates 1 tonne of CO₂e. They answer different questions — most businesses with both grid electricity and residual emissions end up needing both.
The difference at a glance
- Unit. REC = 1 MWh renewable electricity. Offset = 1 tonne CO₂e avoided/removed.
- What it claims. RECs let you report your purchased electricity as renewable (Scope 2). Offsets compensate emissions you couldn't cut (often used against residual or Scope 3).
- Standards. RECs sit in energy-attribute registries; offsets are certified by Verra, Gold Standard and similar.
- Neither replaces reduction. Both complement — not substitute — cutting consumption and emissions.
Which does your business need?
If your sustainability gap is electricity (Scope 2), RECs are the matching instrument. If the gap is residual emissions across operations and value chain, certified offsets are. In practice, a credible plan stacks them: renewable electricity via RECs, reductions where possible, and certified offsets for the remainder.
Where Evertreen fits
Evertreen supplies both, as an intermediary: RECs sourced from third-party renewable projects, and Verra/Gold Standard offsets retired on your behalf — plus geolocated tree planting for visible, long-term removal. One platform, documented claims.
Frequently asked questions
Do RECs reduce my carbon footprint? They change the accounting of your electricity (Scope 2) to renewable; they don't compensate non-electricity emissions — offsets do that.
Can I use RECs and offsets together? Yes — RECs for electricity, certified offsets for residual emissions; the combination is standard practice.
Does Evertreen sell both? Yes — RECs (as intermediary from third-party projects) and Verra/Gold Standard offsets, alongside traceable tree planting.
