Scope 2 emissions reporting, EU carbon rules and the cost of a green tariff.
For companies that prepare sustainability reports, export to the EU or answer the supply-chain questionnaires of large customers, the carbon impact of electricity consumption is now a bargaining point. The YEK-G certificate is one of the most practical tools here.
What is YEK-G?
The Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin certificate (YEK-G) is an electronic certificate issued by the market operator for every megawatt-hour generated from a renewable source (wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass). One certificate represents one MWh. When it is cancelled on behalf of a consumer, the renewable origin of that amount of electricity is officially recorded.
What does it mean for companies?
In carbon accounting, Scope 2 refers to indirect emissions from purchased electricity. It is calculated in two ways: location-based (grid average) and market-based. In the market-based method the emission factor for renewable electricity documented with YEK-G is taken as zero. So a site that consumes 1,000 MWh can reduce its Scope 2 emissions to zero in its report by cancelling certificates for all of it.
Why do EU carbon rules matter?
The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) requires the declaration of direct and, in certain cases, indirect emissions for some product groups. In sectors such as cement, fertiliser, aluminium and iron and steel, electricity-related emissions affect a product's carbon intensity. Because the scope and timetable of the regulation are updated, consult your adviser or the relevant official sources for the current position.
What does it cost?
On the market a YEK-G certificate costs a few kuruş per kWh. Akımer Enerji's green tariffs are about 6 kuruş per kWh above the standard tariff. For a business consuming 100,000 kWh a month, that means an extra 6,000 TRY a month.
How to start
- Determine your last 12 months of consumption.
- Choose the proportion you want to certify (all or part).
- Sign a green tariff contract.
- At year end, add the cancellation certificate summary to your sustainability report.
A caution
Buying the certificate does not mean your physical electricity comes from a wind farm; the grid is single and shared. The certificate shows that renewable generation has been recorded in your name. Stating this distinction clearly in your reporting increases credibility on green claims.
Example: a mid-sized production site
A site consuming 6 GWh of electricity a year may have Scope 2 emissions of roughly 2,800 tonnes CO₂e on a standard tariff using the grid-average factor. When certificates are cancelled for the same amount, the market-based Scope 2 report drops to zero. The extra cost, at 6 kuruş per kWh, is about 360,000 TRY a year, which is about 130 TRY per tonne.