According to the United Nations, “to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, emissions need to be reduced by almost half by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050”.  

At Zest, as a carbon neutral B Corporation and signatory of The Climate Pledge, sustainability is central to our work. Beyond these commitments, our business model as an EV charge point operator (CPO) is designed to support the UK’s net zero ambitions. With the transport sector accounting for 26% of UK emissions, a transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles and towards electric vehicles (EVs) is essential to meet net zero targets. But drivers may wonder where the energy to power EV charging infrastructure comes from.  

At Zest, we use 100% REGO certified electricity to power our charging infrastructure, meaning the energy comes from renewable sources. This post will explore the REGO certification and its impact on net zero.

What is REGO & how does it work?

The Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) scheme is a program designed to assure the renewable source of electricity generated, through sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and biomass. It’s administered by Ofgem and aims to provide transparency to consumers about how much electricity suppliers obtain from renewables.  

Through the scheme, certificates known as REGOs are provided, which show that a specific amount of electricity has been generated from renewable sources; one REGO certificate is provided for each megawatt-hour of electricity generated.  

The REGO certification not only promotes accountability amongst energy providers, but also incentivises investment in clean power generation. At Zest, the energy we use to power our EV charge points is 100% REGO certified, but why is this so important for net zero?

Why is REGO important for net zero?

Despite their harm, the world currently depends on fossil fuels to power more than 80% of global energy production. As such, the energy sector accounts for around 75% of greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. However, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the shift to renewables is achievable, as “90 percent of the world’s electricity can and should come from renewable energy by 2050”.  

At Zest, by using REGO certified electricity, we are already prioritising the use of sustainable, renewable, and reliable energy sources. We understand that this is central to any net zero strategy; to make the transition to EVs as impactful as possible CPOs need to use electricity from renewable sources.  

The use of REGO certified energy is a key part of our decarbonisation work at Zest. It is just one of the ways we are working to reduce the carbon impact of the transport sector in the UK and accelerate towards Net Zero. As a B Corporation, we recognise the need to continue to challenge ourselves to learn and do more to support climate change mitigation. However, we are proud to use 100% renewable energy and to offer this environmental benefit to partnerships that share our commitment to sustainability.    

‍