Late in the 1990s, and in response to a call from government to increase the proportion of renewable source energy supplied to consumers, Dutch industry introduced the "Groenlabelsystem". This proposed a a transferrable certificate to represent renewable benefit, and which could be used to provide evidence of the supply of renewable source electricity.  By 1999, it became clear that targets would not be met, and the challenges to the could best be overcome by means of international trade. This led to the foundation of RECS (the Renewable Energy Certificate System) by a group of energy companies - RECS International.

Following an operational trial ("the Test Phase") during 2001-2002, which sought to develop rules for international renewable electricity certificate trading, establish links between registry systems and gain experience of the practical issues involved, the Association of Issuing Bodies was formed to represent the interests of certificate system administrators and to promote an internationally standardised certificate system.

Since then, the AIB has developed and adopted detailed operational rules that set out the core principles for generic certificate trading, and propose administrative standards and technical benchmarks. Specific certificates supported include obligatory renewable electricity guarantees of origin (as required under the RES Directive 2001/77/EC), voluntary disclosure certificates for fossil and nuclear electricity (in support of the Internal Energy Markets Directive 2003/54/EC) and voluntary RECS certificates. There are future plans to support cogeneration certificates (CHP Directive 2004/8/EC), biogas, biofuels and white certificates.

• Belgium - Flanders Greenpowercertificates
• Italy - Certificati Verdi
• Sweden - Elcerts
• United Kingdom - Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs)

• AGORES - An information source on renewable energy provided by the European Commission Directorate General on Energy and Transport
• European Environment Agency - Loads of news and links to other resources
• CAN EUROPE - Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-Europe) is a non-profit organisation operating as a coordination office for environmental groups in Western Europe (European Union, Iceland, Norway, Switserland) working on climate change issues

• GreenPrices - a news portal on European renewable energy
• GreenStream Network - A leading European broker and consultant regarding environmental products

• The Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electriicty (UCTE) - An association of European Grid System Operators
• NORDEL - The association of Nordic grid system operators
• CENTREL - The association of grid system operators for the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia
• CENTREL - The association of grid system operators for south eastern Europe
• Renewable Energy Certificate System (RECS International) - European Association representing companies buying and selling renewable energy certificates
• Eurelectric - European Electricity Industry Assocation and its worldwide affiliates and associates
• The European Renewable Energy Exchange (Eurorex) - Commercial service providing information on renewable energy in all of Europe
• European Transmission System Operators (ETSO) - Association of independent Transmission System Operator companies from EU, Norway and Switzerland
• International Energy Agency (IEA) - Intergovernmental body committed to advancing security of energy supply, economic growth and environmental sustainability through energy policy co-operation
• The World Energy Efficiency Association (WEEA) - Association of developed and developing country institutions and individuals charged with increasing energy efficiency
• International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE) - Global organization that standardises electrical, electronic and related technologies; facilitates and develops the exchange of engineering knowledge and information between engineering personnel and technical specialists in all countries as regards generation and high voltage transmission of electricity
• The European Union (EU) - energy section
• Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE) - Association of transmission system operators in continental Europe
• Euroheat & Power - Association promoting the advantages Combined Heat & Power and District Heating and Cooling. Its projects encompass the use of waste as heat source; use of renewable energies and efficiency in use of primary energies
• European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) - Created in 2000, the European Renewable Energy Council - EREC - is an umbrella organisation of the European renewable energy industry, trade and research associations active in the fields of photovoltaic, small hydropower, solar thermal, biomass, wind energy and geothermal energy, thus representing the entire renewable energy sector
• European Biomass Association (AEBIOM) - AEBIOM is a group of national biomass associations with membership open to representatives of the European Union, Central and Eastern Europe. Biomass includes all renewable vegetable and animal matters that can be used for industrial (fibre, chemicals) or energy production (heat, electricity, fuel)
• European Geothermal Energy Council(EGEC)- an international association which promotes the use of geothermal energy, encouraging research & development in the field of geothermal utilization of the existing resources in Europe and allowing the public at large to access the results and maximise the utilization of this renewable energy
• European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) - EPIA exists to deliver to its members a distinct and valuable service driven from the strength of a single European photovoltaic (PV) voice
• European Small Hydropower Association (ESHA) - a non- profit International Association representing the sector of small hydropower. The association was founded in 1989 as an initiative of the European Commission. ESHA is a founding member of EREC (European Renewable Energy Council), which groups together all main European renewable energy industry and research associations. Since March 2000, ESHA has shared its headquarters with other EREC members in the Renewable Energy House, in Brussels.
• European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF) - ESTIF engages in many different issues relevant to the solar thermal industry - from lobbying for favourable legislative framework conditions to work on standards & certification
• European Biomass Industry Association (EUBIA) - EUBIA, the European Biomass Industry Association, was established in 1996 as an international non profit association in Brussels, Belgium. It groups together market forces, technology providers, and knowledge centres, all of them active in the field of biomass. Its main objective is to support the European biomass industries at all levels, promoting the use of biomass as an energy source, developing innovative bioenergy concepts and fostering international co-operation within the bioenergy field
• European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources (EUFORES) - EUFORES is a non-profit organization founded 1995 amongst others by Parliamentarians and aiming at promoting Renewable Energy Sources. It has developed an intense institutional network at EU and national level and has become one of the driving forces in the renewable energy sector. EUFORES opens the door in order to stimulate the exchange of information between Parliamentarians and also key-players in the field of renewable energy in a structured way. Hereby EUFORES will continue to work for the benefit of good legislative acts in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficient and related fields. Through close contacts with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) as well as with several key-players of the private energy sector, EUFORES follows and advises on legislation and disseminates the most up to date information to its members
• European Renewable Energy Centres Agency (EUREC) - The European Renewable Energy Centres Agency was established as a European Economic Interest Grouping in 1991 to strengthen and rationalise the European research, demonstration and development efforts in all renewable energy technologies. As an independent member-based association, it incorporates 48 prominent research groups from all over Europe. EUREC members' research fields include solar buildings, wind, photovoltaics, biomass, small hydro, solar thermal power stations, ocean energy, solar chemistry and solar materials, hybrid systems, developing countries and integration of renewable energy in the energy infrastructure
• European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) - EWEA is the voice of the wind industry - promoting the best interest of the sector in Europe and worldwide. EWEA members include manufacturers covering 98% of the global wind power market, as well as component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, developers, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies and consultants. The combined strength of more than 250 members from over 40 countries makes EWEA the world’s largest renewable energy association
• Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) - The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) was established in early 2005 to provide a credible and representative forum for the entire wind energy sector.at an international level. GWEC’s mission is to ensure that wind power establishes itself as one of the world ’s leading energy sources, providing substantial environmental and economic benefits