Defossilisation Made Visible: Why OK Renewable Is Becoming the Reference Label for Renewable Carbon Products

The transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy requires the replacement of virgin fossil carbon with renewable carbon derived from biomass, captured carbon, and recycling streams. As regulatory expectations increase, companies must not only improve product sustainability but also communicate their achievements transparently and credibly.

The OK renewable certification scheme, independently verified by TÜV AUSTRIA, addresses this challenge through a single label that quantifies renewable carbon content regardless of its source. Renewable Carbon Share refers to the proportion of carbon in a product that originates from renewable sources, including biomass, captured carbon, or recycled carbon streams, rather than from virgin fossil resources. By expressing these sources through one quantified share, the scheme gives companies and their stakeholders a common basis for product-level communication. This label translates the defossilisation efforts from a company into an easy-to-understand consumer label. Instead of separate labels for bio-based, CCU-derived or recycled carbon, Renewable Carbon Share combines all renewable carbon streams into one clear communication framework.

This approach delivers several unique benefits. High renewable carbon shares clearly demonstrate low fossil-carbon dependency. One of the most distinctive features of OK renewable is the combination of segregated and mass-balance chain-of-custody approaches within a single scheme. This flexibility supports industrial reality while preserving traceability and independent verification. Integrated chemical production systems can therefore participate in the transition without requiring complete physical segregation of all renewable feedstocks.

The certification therefore supports innovation while simplifying communication towards consumers, customers, regulators and brand owners. It is particularly relevant in light of the European Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) and increasing scrutiny of environmental claims. Companies need evidence-based statements that can withstand regulatory review and market expectations. Independent certification ensures these claims remain robust, transparent and verifiable.

“The discussion is gradually shifting from whether companies should reduce fossil carbon dependency to how they can demonstrate that progress in a transparent and verifiable way,” says Anja De Jonghe, Business Unit Manager Sustainability at TÜV AUSTRIA Belgium. “Independent certification provides the evidence required by both regulators and the market.”

Beyond product-level communication, renewable carbon share information also demonstrates progress towards wider corporate sustainability targets, including Scope 3 emissions reduction and long-term defossilisation strategies. As markets increasingly focus on renewable carbon content Renewable Carbon Share provides a future-oriented tool for industry.

As renewable carbon sources become increasingly important in industrial supply chains, transparent verification mechanisms such as OK renewable will play a growing role in demonstrating environmental performance, supporting credible sustainability claims, and helping companies communicate their transition away from fossil carbon with confidence.