| 1. 18 MWh of EKOenergy each minute - Thanks to so many of you |
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Did you know that on average, about 300 kWh of EKOenergy-labelled energy is used each second? That makes 18 MWh per minute!
What's even more impressive, is that this is the result of the actions and decisions of thousands of individuals, organisations, and companies in more than 70 countries.
We always get a lot of positive vibes when we hear from enthusiastic EKOenergy users and sellers around the world. Here are some recent examples.
- St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor, from Gulu, Uganda, became the first user of on-site produced EKOenergy in Africa at the beginning of last year. We recently talked to the head of their technical department and published a short article about their choice of EKOenergy on our website. The example of St. Mary’s Hospital Lacor highlights how our label is an appealing solution for all types of customers, all over the world.
- We got updated sales numbers from Quantica (Hanwha Group), a Spanish solar installer and authorised EKOenergy seller. They have automatically included the EKOenergy label in all their contracts for the past two years: households, companies and municipalities that purchase solar installations from Quantica receive their on-site produced energy as EKOenergy. An amazing strategy, with amazing results. Thanks Quantica!
- Earlier this year glass manufacturer SCHOTT closed a PPA for the supply of wind and solar power in India. It was recently confirmed that all the megawatt-hours they get via this deal will carry our ecolabel too.
And so many more! |
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| "An uncompromising, if inconvenient, fact of the climate crisis is that the atmosphere doesn’t care where fossil fuels are burned, or about any good intentions behind burning them. Carbon emissions will, regardless, heat the planet to levels we have never experienced before." - Oliver Milman in the Down To Earth newsletter - 26 October 2023 |
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| 2. The RE-Source conference - An inspiring experience once again! |
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We were thrilled to be an Association partner of this year’s RE-Source conference again. The successful event was packed with insightful panel discussions, engaging conversations, and an overall energetic atmosphere.
We've distilled three key takeaways.
- The record number of buyers in attendance underscores the undeniable importance of renewable energy procurement. Despite challenging policy environments, the interest in Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) continues to increase.
- This year's conference was notably beginner-friendly, catering to those looking to explore options and opportunities in diverse European markets. Multiple sessions provided compelling arguments for both buyers and sellers, emphasising the benefits of PPAs and offering strategies to convince CFOs.
- Reporting standards matter more than ever. Buyers are increasingly seeking solutions that align with guidelines and requirements of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, CDP, and the RE100.
A big thank you to the RE-Source Platform, all the dedicated speakers, and enthusiastic participants for making this year's event another resounding success.
We also truly appreciate that all the food at the conference was plant-based. Together, we can drive positive change, in the renewable energy landscape and beyond! |
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| 3. News from previously funded solar projects |
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For every MWh of EKOenergy, we allocate €0.10 to fund renewable energy projects in low- and middle-income countries. All funded projects enhance the living conditions of local communities and contribute to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In recent weeks, we received more news from several previously funded projects:
- We had the pleasure of virtually meeting representatives from the Nigerian NGO Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change (CREACC-NG). With our financial support of €37,500, they have installed a 3.6 kWp solar system in the village of Bulbuli. This system powers the local health care centre, a water-pumping system that provides 32,000 litres daily, and enables people to charge their mobile phones and other small electric devices.
- We also received an update and some photos from Green Empowerment and The Victim Relief Alliance's honey processing project in Uganda. Earlier this year, we granted them €26,585 to fund a solar-powered honey processing plant that will enable about 100 farmers to process their honey and improve their income. In the past few weeks, they have had preparatory meetings with all involved stakeholders, have set up a cooperative structure, and have been working on the processing plant’s design
- “Renew’N’Able Malawi”, a Malawian renewable energy organisation, shared updates on their new EKOenergy-financed project on social media: “Over the past 2 months our team has been busy coordinating procurement, logistics and construction works for the water supply systems together with stakeholders from the district, communities and school management committees. Works are nearing completion, and clean drinking water should start flowing from the solar-powered systems before the end of this month. Stay tuned to see the full results of this project and the impact it will bring to the students and communities surrounding the 5 schools.”
Thanks a lot to all consumers and sellers of EKOenergy-labelled energy, for making projects such as these possible. |
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| "The joy in Bulbuli was indescribable when I witnessed children accessing clean water from the systems EKOenergy enabled. It's heart-warming to know that a funded project can have such a profound impact, solving real problems for people. Imagine cutting hours of travel for water to bringing it to their doorstep - it's truly touching." - Usman Muhammad Mareri, project director at the Nigerian NGO Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change, about one of the projects financed by EKOenergy’s Climate Fund |
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| 4. EKOenergy's staff can answer your EKOenergy-related questions fast |
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Did you know that you can easily get in touch with us?
Our label is available worldwide and can be combined with all sourcing methods: green tariffs, PPAs, unbundled purchase of EACs, and more. If you are an energy consumer and you are looking for ways to make an extra positive impact and contribute to the energy transition worldwide, feel free to get in touch at any time. We reply to all e-mail requests we receive and are happy to set up calls or virtual meetings too.
If you are an energy supplier or a consultant, and your clients want something more, don’t hesitate to get in touch for a reminder about our processes and the main sales arguments.
A meeting or call doesn’t need to take a full hour. Even in 10 to 20 minutes, we can tell you more about:
- The 10 main reasons to work with EKOenergy
- How to sell EKOenergy
- Getting access to our EKOdirect database
- And much more!
For more information, call +358 50 5687385, or write to Steven.Vanholme@sll.fi or Johannes.Pattiniemi@sll.fi from EKOenergy's Secretariat. |
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| "Every action we take to move politicians, policymakers, big polluters and the finance that backs them, really matters. It's got us this far. There still is a huge gap between where we're headed and where we need to be. But every shift we create matters." - Adam McGibbon, on LinkedIn |
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| 5. Renewables4ukraine campaign - Additional support welcome |
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Two weeks ago, Ruslana, former Eurovision Song Contest winner, democracy activist, and Global100RE ambassador from Ukraine received the Golden Planet Award for her social engagement and, in particular, for the initiative Renewables4ukraine. Congratulations!
At EKOenergy, we are happy and proud that we have been able to support the Renewables4ukraine campaign with €70,000 from our marketing budget. A portion of our grant has been used to finance solar installations for a school in Irpin and for a health clinic in Bucha, with more systems yet to be installed in the coming months. The remainder of the grant is being used to support the advocacy work of local renewable energy organisations, particularly the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association.
If you are still looking for a project to support with an end-of-the-year gift, please get in touch with us at renewables4ukraine@wwindea.org or fill out the form at the Renewables4ukraine website.
Photo credit: Olga Grytsenko |
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| 6. EKOenergy-labelled energy is always reliably tracked |
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EKOenergy's criteria cover many aspects, including the assurance of reliable tracking and the prevention of double counting. To achieve this, our label mandates the use of reliable tracking instruments, such as Guarantees of Origin in Europe or certificates issued and redeemed in line with the I-REC (International Renewable Energy Certificate) standard.
To stay at the forefront of the latest developments in this field, we work closely with experts worldwide and are a member of the RECS Energy Certificate Association. Transparent and reliable tracking is crucial in promoting renewable energy, and it's good to see that the number of people and organisations working in this field is growing fast.
We recently asked Adam White, Secretary-General of the RECS Energy Certificate Association about ongoing processes and recent evolutions in the Energy Attribute Certificate (EAC) sphere, including the review of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Guidance. You can read about his insights in a new, short article on our website.
By the way, if you work with EACs and still need to become a member of RECS, we encourage you to consider joining the organisation. In the interview with Adam White, you find some good reasons for doing so! |
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| "We firmly believe that standard EAC systems and markets must remain the foundation of energy attribute tracking. These systems have stood the test of time and have proven their value to energy generators, which, in turn, can be reinvested into further renewable energy production." - Adam White, Secretary-General of the RECS Energy Certificate Association |
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| 7. Thanks for giving visibility to EKOenergy’s concrete results |
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We are grateful that so many people and organisations are helping us share our message of how consumers can accelerate the energy transition. Here are some inspiring examples from the past weeks.
- Gesternova, a Spanish authorised EKOenergy seller, organised the “Month of EKOenergy” during the whole month of October. They posted about various aspects of EKOenergy’s work on all their social media channels almost daily. They also published an excellent text on their blog: EKOenergy, renewable energy accessible to everyone (in Spanish).
- Becour, an international provider of renewable energy certificates and a long-time authorised EKOenergy seller, published an interview with Steven Vanholme from EKOenergy’s Secretariat. “People and companies that buy EKOenergy enable us to promote renewable energy worldwide. Besides their contribution to the climate fund, EKOenergy users pay an additional eight cents per MWh, which we then use to manage our label and to finance our campaigns to promote renewable energy in different sectors."
- Xes Helsinki and Haaga-Helia, a strongly-business orientated university of applied sciences in Finland, organised a seminar titled Change Resilience and Green Transformation for SMEs and invited EKOenergy to talk about climate change, renewables, and the concrete achievements of our label. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to present our work. |
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| 8. EKOenergy on social media |
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We encourage you to stay connected with us on social media. By following us, you'll receive relevant updates on our work and achievements, as well as other issues related to the environment and sustainability.
Here are some of our recent posts:
- As previously announced: EKOenergy's Bamboo Award 2023 and Oak Award 2023 are for 3Degrees! The award ceremony took place today, at RE-Source. (from our Instagram)
- Over 250 groups and organisations, including EKOenergy, joined Oil Change International's call on governments to support efforts to end oil and gas export finance at OECD meetings taking place in Paris now. The proposal could end USD 41 billion per year flowing from government-run Export Credit Agencies to fossil fuels, and free it up for clean energy instead! (from our LinkedIn)
- Several of our EU Solidarity Corps volunteers are on a full-week training organised by the Finnish National Agency for Education. They just sent us some photos and we're happy to see that they keep EKOenergy in mind. (from our X)
- How to convince energy consumers worldwide to replace zombie energy with clean and sustainable EKOenergy? Today EKO-Johannes told us all about contacting and outreach. (from our Facebook)
- In the past few months, we have been working on our EKOdirect module, which also contains a database with all pre-checked power plants. We have just added the 4000th installation and the database is growing every day. (from our LinkedIn)
- 📢 What do we want? #climateaction! ✊ We are in front of the Finnish Parliament Friday too, as usual 🌍 #FridaysForFuture. (from our X) |
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| 9. World Energy Outlook 2023: Change is coming |
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The latest edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO), the most authoritative global source of energy analysis and projections, describes an energy system in 2030 in which clean technologies play a significantly greater role than today.
A combination of growing momentum behind clean energy technologies and structural economic shifts around the world has major implications for fossil fuels, with peaks in global demand for coal, oil, and natural gas all visible this decade – the first time this has happened in a WEO scenario based on today’s policy settings!
“The transition to clean energy is happening worldwide and it’s unstoppable. It’s not a question of ‘if’, it’s just a matter of ‘how soon’ – and the sooner the better for all of us,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “Governments, companies, and investors need to get behind clean energy transitions rather than hindering them. There are immense benefits on offer, including new industrial opportunities and jobs, greater energy security, cleaner air, universal energy access and a safer climate for everyone. Taking into account the ongoing strains and volatility in traditional energy markets today, claims that oil and gas represent safe or secure choices for the world’s energy and climate future look weaker than ever.” |
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We at EKOenergy are always enthusiastic to collaborate with new partners.
For further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch. |
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