2026 CDP Korea Conference Breakout Session C

- Real-Time Renewable Energy Matching:
Global Trends and Korea's Response 

The Korea Sustainability Investing Forum (secretariat of the CDP Korea Committee) held the 2026 CDP Korea Conference on March 10 at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel. Centered on the theme of Transition, stakeholders from business, finance, and policy gathered to discuss how to put the shift to a low-carbon economy into practice.

Breakout Session C addressed Real-Time Renewable Energy Matching: Global Trends and Korea’s Response. The session reviewed Granular Certificate (GC) standards developed and promoted by EnergyTag, the criteria set out by 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE), and real-time matching cases from major Asia-Pacific markets, and discussed how Korean companies and institutions can respond as the world moves from annual to hourly matching.

Keynote: Shailesh Telang, Head of Asia-Pacific, EnergyTag

The keynote, “From Annual to Hourly Matching - Granular Certificates (GCs) and the Future of Clean Energy Procurement,” was delivered by Shailesh Telang, Head of Asia-Pacific at EnergyTag (formerly responsible for CDP RE100 technical guidance).

Telang described hourly certification not as a narrow rule change but as a structural shift across energy markets. Annual matching, he argued, does not reflect when electricity is actually generated and consumed, which limits credibility. Global power markets have operated at sub-hourly intervals for years, so energy certification systems need to catch up.

He also noted that solar-plus-storage models that supply clean power around the clock are already commercial overseas, and that hourly matching can create economic incentives for storage. EnergyTag has been involved in designing hourly matching criteria for the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), GHG Protocol Scope 2, and clean hydrogen rules in the U.S. and Europe (IRA 45V, RFNBO). Unlike RE100, which spread through voluntary corporate participation, he said real-time matching is more likely to spread through regulation, and its impact on companies may be larger.

Panel discussion

The panel was moderated by Taehan Kim, Director, Korea Sustainability Investing Forum, and explored the feasibility and challenges of hourly matching in Korea’s power market. Panelists discussed changing demand from global companies, international standard-setting, readiness of domestic infrastructure, and on-the-ground applicability.

Rachel Swiatek, Senior Manager, Climate Group 24/7 Carbon-Free Coalition, introduced Climate Group’s 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) initiative and shared progress by major global companies such as Google and Microsoft. Leading multinationals, she said, are moving beyond annual matching toward aligning clean generation with actual electricity use every hour.

Dr. Yohan Choi, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, an ISO 14064 expert, outlined cooperation between ISO and the GHG Protocol to strengthen standard alignment, and current ISO 14064 revision discussions. He noted that same-grid, same-hour granular matching is being discussed as a way to strengthen market-based methods, and that companies and other stakeholders need to learn and take positions.

Sein Moon, Manager, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), stressed that real-time matching is not a partial upgrade of existing rules but a shift toward a more technology-neutral and transparent next-generation energy certification system. He described KEPCO’s blockchain-based real-time matching pilot, which uses nationwide metering infrastructure and precise data collection and settlement systems to test and refine requirements for hourly certification.

Minyoung Song, Director, Good News Energy, said technical implementation of real-time matching is already feasible. He shared Good News Energy’s VOLT Registry work in Vietnam, which supports annual and monthly matching today while building hourly matching into the design. His key point: “You do not need 100% from day one. Disclosing where you are today and showing a path to improve is the most realistic starting point.”

Killian Daly, Executive Director (EnergyTag), who also spoke in a shared session, had earlier shared investor statements and shareholder resolutions that raise the bar on energy procurement quality. In the panel he framed real-time matching as a tool for system cost reduction and demand response, and noted that many utilities worldwide already offer hourly certificates.

The session showed that real-time matching is no longer only an experiment for a few leading companies. It is being institutionalized amid shifts in global regulation and market standards. Korea likewise needs proactive responses across the power market, certification systems, and corporate renewable procurement strategies.