Green Electricity Watch (GEW) provides a ranking of green electricity products to help consumers choose which ones make the most difference to Australia's and their own greenhouse gas emissions.  Green Electricity Watch was established in 2002, and is a coalition of three leading Australian environment organisations: the Australian Conservation Foundation, Total Environment Centre, and WWF-Australia. In 2007 Green Electricity Watch publishes its fourth survey and issues its fourth report. Download this and previous years reports .

Green Electricity Watch considers only accredited GreenPower makes a difference, so the ranking only includes accredited GreenPower products. Some electricity is described as ‘green’ or ‘renewable’, but if it isn’t accredited GreenPower we do not recommend it.  This is because it is likely to be part of our system whether or not it is purchased as part of a  GreenPower product.

Green Electricity Watch commissions an independent consultant to conduct the survey and carry out the ranking. The environment groups in Green Electricity Watch have some joint projects and may receive funding from energy companies, and these links are detailed below. These links have no influence on the survey results or on the policies of the environment groups.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and Origin Energy are parties to a Memorandum of Understanding which provides a framework for ongoing cooperation to discuss potential joint environmental initiatives, including marketing initiatives from which ACF may derive a financial benefit.  In addition ACF provided advice to Origin on the development of the Rules and Governance framework for Origin's Carbon Reduction Scheme.
 
The Total Environment Centre (TEC) started Green Capital  in 2002. Green Capital is Australia’s largest and longest running corporate sustainability program.  Origin Energy is an Annual Program Partner of Green Capital. 

WWF-Australia (WWF) has partnered with Country Energy to introduce energy efficiency and GreenPower (foreverGREEN) as practical solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced from electricity use. WWF has also partnered with Climate Friendly to encourage individuals and businesses to become climate neutral. WWF has received project sponsorship from AGL for WWF's marine turtle conservation program. WWF and AGL have also produced a study "Options for moving to a lower emission future".
 
The methodology for the survey was developed in 2006 by an independent consultant commissioned by Green Electricity Watch. In 2007 Retailer Guidelines for Green Electricity Watch were produced in order to assist retailers improve their products. All companies that had participated in the 2006 Green Electricity Watch were invited to support the production of these guidelines.  The guidelines were made possible by funding from Origin Energy, Country Energy and AGL.

Draft guidelines were produced by the consultant, and sent to all companies who had been included in the 2006 Green Electricity Watch survey. The consultant then conducted an interview with every company to take their comments on the methodology and answer any queries. The three companies which provided funding had identical opportunities to input to the methodology and guidelines as every other company involved.

Download retailer guidelines.