AIB - Association of Issuing Bodies

What AIB - Association of Issuing Bodies does

AIB - Association of Issuing Bodies is a Belgian non-profit membership association (ivzw, registered in Brussels) founded in 1998 to develop and operate the European Energy Certificate System (EECS), a harmonized framework for energy certification across Europe. It serves 42 government-appointed issuing bodies spanning 36 European countries (EU, EEA, and Energy Community member states), predominantly transmission system operators, electricity regulators, and energy market operators. The organization monetizes primarily through membership fees and charges associated with connecting national registries to the AIB Hub; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

At the core of AIB's technology is the EECS framework, comprising the EECS Rules (a standardized ruleset for energy certificates across all carriers and purposes), a suite of subsidiary standards and Domain Protocols, and the AIB Hub, an inter-registry communications platform that enables the import, issuance, and export of Guarantees of Origin (GOs) between connected national registries. The EECS operates two scheme groups: an Electricity Scheme operational for nearly two decades and a Gas GO Scheme launched in November 2019 that covers gaseous carriers including hydrogen under Article 19 of the Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001. Supporting products include the EECS GO Statistics Dashboard (built with technology partners Addepto, Unicorn, and Zigt), the European Residual Mix methodology, and a Disclosure Platform. In 2025, AIB processed 72,966 transfers totaling approximately 1,161 TWh, issued 1,094 TWh of GOs, and crossed a cumulative 10,000 TWh issuance milestone since its foundation.

AIB's go-to-market is community-led and constrained by regulatory scope: members must be government-appointed competent bodies, and onboarding involves a two-phase process (AIB membership followed by Scheme membership and Hub connection) typically taking 6 months to 1-2 years. The organization is governed by its members through General Meetings and a Board, with a small secretariat led by General Secretary Liesbeth Switten, EECS Strategy Officer Katrien Verwimp, and IT Application Officer Martin Standera. AIB is also an active participant in EU policy consultations and leads or contributes to projects such as REGADISS, FaStGO, CertifHy, and REGATRACE that shape future energy certification standards.

Name

AIB - Association of Issuing Bodies

Legal name

Association of Issuing Bodies ivzw

Website

https://aib-net.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AIB is a Belgian non-profit association that operates the European Energy Certificate System (EECS), connecting 42 government-appointed issuing bodies across 36 European countries via a standardized inter-registry platform for cross-border guarantees of origin for electricity, gas, and hydrogen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Certification Services

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (926130)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border EAC Trading & Compliance (Multi-registry, Multi-jurisdiction) (EUAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO) (EUAEAHAN)

Keywords

• Energy certificate system
• Guarantees of origin
• Renewable energy certification
• Energy registry infrastructure
• Residual mix methodology

Headquarters

HQ city

Bruyelle

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AIB is a non-profit membership organization. Members pay fees to join and participate. AIB membership and Hub connection are distinct processes with associated fees. Members can attend meetings and access Members section of the website but cannot vote until fully approved.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AIB operates the European Energy Certificate System (EECS), a standardized framework providing harmonized rules for energy certificates across all energy carriers in Europe. It runs the AIB Hub, an inter-registry communications platform that connects national registries to enable cross-border transfer of Guarantees of Origin for electricity and gas. The association also publishes standards, statistics, and a Disclosure Platform supporting reliable energy origin tracking.

Product overview

AIB operates the European Energy Certificate System (EECS) as its core framework, which provides harmonized rules for energy certification across all energy carriers in Europe. The EECS comprises two scheme groups: the Electricity Scheme (operational for nearly two decades) and the Gas GO Scheme (added in November 2019). The AIB Hub serves as the inter-registry communications infrastructure connecting all national registries for international trade of energy certificates, documenting over 70,000 transfers and 1,161 TWh exchanged in 2025. Supporting products include the EECS GO Statistics Dashboard for market analytics, the European Residual Mix for disclosure calculations, and comprehensive standards documentation including EECS Rules, Standard Terms and Conditions, and Domain Protocols. The organization also maintains the Disclosure Platform supporting consumer energy origin transparency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EECS (European Energy Certificate System): The European Energy Certificate System provides harmonized rules for the operation of public and commercial certificate systems for all energy carriers in Europe.

Products and services

• EECS (European Energy Certificate System) Harmonized ruleset providing standardized rules for the operation of energy certificate systems across Europe, supporting Guarantees of Origin for electricity, gas, and other energy carriers.
• AIB Hub Inter-registry communications platform connecting all national registries for international trade of energy certificates, enabling import, issuance, and export of EECS Guarantees of Origin across connected members.
• EECS Electricity Scheme

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70,000 transfers and 1,161 TWh exchanged in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• REGADISS Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 20242024 project to develop methodologies for reliable disclosure of renewable gases. AIB leads the consortium working on standards for renewable gas certification and hydrogen guarantees of origin.
• FaStGO Project ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject upgrading the European System for Guarantees of Origin. FaStGO developed design specifications for GO statistics, residual mix methodology, and IT infrastructure improvements for cross-border GO transfers.
• CertifHycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focused on certification of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen. AIB participates in developing hydrogen guarantees of origin frameworks under the EECS Gas Scheme.
• REGATRACEmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject developing traceable biomethane and renewable gas certification systems. Supports the EECS Gas GO Scheme implementation for gaseous energy carriers including hydrogen.
• RECS InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit organization representing users of energy attribute certificates (EACs) around the world. RECS works closely with AIB to ensure optimal outcomes from both market and systems perspectives for renewable energy markets. Organizes the annual REC Market Meeting.
• European Commission DG ENERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIB collaborates with DG ENER on energy policy frameworks including REDIII implementation, GO system improvements, and Union Database interaction for renewable gaseous fuels.
• CEER - Council of European Energy RegulatorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIB submitted response to CEER's public consultation on strategy 2026-2029. Works on harmonizing tracking frameworks across policy areas to ensure consistent energy origin claims.
• AFME, Bioenergy Europe, CEER, CMCE, EACH, Energy Traders Europe, ERGaR, Eurelectric, Eurogas, Europex, FESE, FIA, IETA, LEBA, SolarPower Europe, WindEuropemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint industry coalition calling to sustain protections against VAT fraud in energy, emissions and energy certificate trading. AIB proactively participates in Europol and FaStGO prevention initiatives to secure the GO market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• EnergyTag: EnergyTag is developing a hydrogen and renewable gas certification standard leveraging mass-balance chain-of-custody. It overlaps with AIB's EECS Gas GO Scheme and CertifHy-related work, making it a direct emerging competitor in hydrogen EACs.
• I-REC Standard (I-REC Standard Foundation): I-REC operates a competing issuing-body framework for energy attribute certificates in over 60 countries outside Europe. It addresses the same underlying problem (issuing EACs to prove renewable origin) and competes with AIB for non-European and emerging-market issuers.
• AGCS (Association of Issuing Bodies for Gas) comparable — ERGaR (European Renewable Gas Registry): ERGaR is a non-profit association developing a pan-European renewable gas registry, directly comparable to AIB's EECS Gas GO Scheme. AIB lists ERGaR as a coalition partner; their products are partly complementary, partly competitive.
• EKOenergy Network: EKOenergy is an independent criteria scheme for EECS-GO-labelled electricity, listed by AIB as a supported label. It operates as a voluntary add-on layer on top of EECS GOs, sharing the same issuing infrastructure but with stricter sustainability criteria.

Others

• CEER (Council of European Energy Regulators): CEER is the body of European national energy regulators. AIB submitted a response to CEER's 2026-2029 strategy consultation. CEER sets the regulatory context in which AIB operates but is not a direct peer; it is an adjacent governing counterpart.

Direct peers

• RECS International: RECS International is a not-for-profit representing users of energy attribute certificates globally. AIB explicitly lists RECS International as a core partner, and their domains (global EAC market development, REC Market Meeting) overlap closely with AIB's European GO mandate.
• CertifHy: CertifHy is a hydrogen guarantee of origin scheme initiated in Europe. AIB lists it as a core partner and CertifHy's mission to certify renewable and low-carbon hydrogen directly overlaps with AIB's EECS Gas GO Scheme.

Broad incumbents

• European Energy Exchange (EEX): EEX is a major energy exchange that lists renewable energy certificate auctions and contracts referenced by AIB's frameworks. It operates a broader energy and emissions trading business but is a key infrastructure partner for the European GO market.
• ENTSO-E (European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity): ENTSO-E coordinates European electricity transmission system operators, many of which are AIB members. Its work on single market integration and cross-border electricity flows overlaps with AIB's mandate on cross-border GO transfers.

Regional players

• Green-e (Center for Resource Solutions): Green-e is the leading North American voluntary certification program for renewable energy, similar in role to EECS for the US/Canada. Comparable governance model (non-profit, standards-based, certification of issuance) but geographically distinct from AIB's European footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/posts/aib---association-of-issuing-bodies_aib-reaction-to-entso-e-position-paper-activity-6966339447671951360-xvdr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AIB - Association of Issuing Bodies