When buyers should consider commodity EACs
Commodity EACs are most relevant when a company has material Scope 3 exposure to hard-to-abate industrial commodities and limited ability to procure lower-carbon physical goods directly.
They are especially useful where a buyer wants to support decarbonization in upstream commodity systems, but the physical supply chain is fragmented, blended, or difficult to trace.
Buyer evaluation checklist
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the commodity relevant to our Scope 3 inventory? | The certificate should connect to a meaningful supply chain or decarbonization priority. |
| Is the underlying production verified or documented? | Buyers need confidence that the certificate is tied to real eligible production. |
| Is the certificate serialized? | Unique tracking helps prevent confusion and duplicate use. |
| Can the certificate be retired in our name? | Retirement creates a permanent record of use. |
| What documentation will we receive? | Documentation supports internal governance, reporting, and assurance review. |
Understand the certificate lifecycle
A buyer should understand how the certificate moves from production to retirement. The core lifecycle includes production documentation, issuance, transfer, retirement, and post-retirement documentation.
If any of those steps are unclear, the buyer should ask for more detail before moving forward.
How S3 Markets helps buyers
S3 Markets helps buyers identify relevant commodity markets, access eligible certificates, retire certificates, and receive documentation. The platform is designed to make the certificate lifecycle clear and reviewable.