| 1. Another record year for EKOenergy’s growth |
|
As we receive information regarding the 2022 sales from the authorised EKOenergy sellers, we can already confirm that EKOenergy is fast growing. We’ve had another record year in terms of sold volumes and the number of countries where EKOenergy is used.
Between 2014 and now, our average annual growth rate has been 42%, and the number of countries where the label has been used has grown from 3 to more than 70.
This wouldn't be possible without our growing network of enthusiastic sellers and many energy consumers who are determined to make a difference. We want to thank all of you.
To learn more about why sellers and consumers choose EKOenergy, check out our leaflet 10 reasons for EKOenergy. |
|
| 2. EKOenergy Awards 2023 for Gesternova and 3Degrees |
|
EKOenergy-labelled renewable energy is available for consumers of all sizes, thanks to our authorised sellers worldwide. Every year, we highlight some of their extraordinary achievements through the EKOenergy Awards.
This year's EKOenergy Ivy Award goes to the Spanish energy supplier Gesternova EnergĂa for their outstanding efforts in promoting EKOenergy-labelled electricity. Check out our interview with Javier del Fraile, Commercial Director of Gesternova on our website.
EKOenergy's Oak and Bamboo Awards this year both go to the global sustainability consultancy and service provider 3Degrees. They received EKOenergy’s Oak Award for having sold the largest EKOenergy-labelled volumes in 2022, and EKOenergy’s Bamboo Award for achieving the highest growth rate of EKOenergy-labelled sales. You can read more about this impressive result in our interview with Stein Haugan, Director of Business Partnerships Renewable Energy & Climate at 3Degrees.
Congratulations to both winners! |
|
| "We are proud to announce the partnership we have reached with L'Oréal Professionnel Spain. They have now chosen electricity from 100% #renewable sources and with the EKOenergy ecolabel." - Paula F.Velasco Suárez, Deputy Commercial Director, Gesternova, on LinkedIn |
|
| 3. Deutsche Welle made a video about an EKOenergy-funded solar project |
|
In 2021, EKOenergy granted 27,000 € to the NGO Association Jeunesse Verte du Cameroun. This grant was used to finance a pilot project which provided seamstresses with solar-powered sewing machines in 4 different locations in Cameroon. The project aimed at supporting women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, as well as increasing environmental awareness through the use of solar energy. In rural areas of Cameroon, over 60% of the villages are off-grid, and even in the cities, power outages are nothing unusual. This hampers the chance of success for young entrepreneurs.
Through our financial support, 40 seamstresses received a solar energy set, including a solar-powered sewing machine.
We were happy to see that Deutsche Welle has made a short video about this amazing project. See how solar power has made a difference for Clementine and other women in Cameroon.
For an overview of all the projects we financed, see the Climate Fund page on our website.
Thanks to all the users of EKOenergy-labelled renewables for choosing sustainable renewables and supporting the fight against energy poverty. |
|
| "The environmental groups say that solar is good for the environment. But now we can see that it is also good for society. It improves people's standard of living" - Aline Kana, Association Jeunesse Verte du Cameroun, in a video about one of the projects that we financed |
|
| 4. Call for small-scale river restoration projects in Germany and Sweden |
|
For each used megawatt-hour of EKOenergy-labelled hydropower, 0.10 € goes to EKOenergy’s Environmental Fund. These contributions are used to finance river restoration projects.
We are now able to finance 2-3 small-scale river restoration projects in Germany or Sweden, the countries where most of the EKOenergy-labelled hydropower has been sold in previous years. The maximum grant per project will be 40,000 €.
Are you interested in sending an application? Or do you know any organisations that could be interested? Check our website for more information and instructions for the application. Note that the deadline for proposals is 15 September 2023. |
|
| 5. Pita bread #MadeWithEKOenergy |
|
EKOenergy user Pita Factory added our logo to their packages in Finland. Their website reads "Clean, local and responsibly produced food is our pride and joy." What a good match to EKOenergy’s values!
Pita Factory is a great example of what we hope to achieve with our EKOappetite campaign. With this newly launched outreach campaign, we aim to:
- Inform companies in the food industry about the possibility of choosing sustainable renewable energy,
- Encourage these companies to switch to EKOenergy-labelled electricity,
- Suggest that they communicate about their choice of sustainable renewable energy to inspire others.
If you know companies that would be interested in following the example of Pita Factory, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. |
|
| "Global investment in clean energy is on course to rise to USD 1.7 trillion in 2023, with solar set to eclipse oil production for the first time" - International Energy Agency, World Energy Investment 2023 report |
|
| 6. 10 years of climate action: New fact sheets |
|
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the EKOenergy ecolabel. Over the past 10 years, we have evolved from an ambitious European initiative to an internationally recognised ecolabel for renewable energy, available across all continents.
To highlight various aspects of our work and commemorate some of the remarkable achievements of the past decade, we decided to publish a series of fact sheets.
The latest in the series are:
- 10 years of… fighting energy poverty
- 10 years of… growth and development
- 10 years of… advocating for climate legislation
- 10 years of… realising the Sustainable Development Goals
- 10 years of… growing recognition |
|
| 7. EKOenergy on social media |
|
Follow EKOenergy on social media to get relevant updates about the climate crisis, renewable energy and climate action worldwide.
Here are some of our recent posts:
Today Laura Blomberg and Nathan Receveur from our Secretariat visited an EKOenergy user where it's ice cream season all year round: 3 Kaveria 🍨 (from our LinkedIn)
Extreme forest fires in Canada, record temperatures in China and Siberia... The #climatecrisis is all around and it will only get worse unless we act fast (from our Twitter)
Our message to the negotiators at the climate conference in Bonn: Phase out all fossil fuels! #PeopleNotFossilFuels (From our Instagram)
Let there be no doubt: This beer is #MadeWithEKOenergy! #EKOappetite - Thirsty for #renewables (from our Twitter)
Along with our colleagues from other departments, we celebrated the 85th anniversary of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation 🥂 (from our Facebook)
Many of our authorised sellers are at the E-world trade fair in Germany this week. We won’t be there in-person this year, but we are available to answer any questions you may have about buying, selling or trading EKOenergy, in Germany or beyond! (from our LinkedIn) |
|
| 8. Renewable energy and nature protection? Both can and must go hand in hand! |
|
In a press release last week, WindEurope stressed that they emphatically support the European Commission’s target of restoring 30% of the EU’s degraded areas. "The Nature Restoration Law is a central element of the EU’s Green Deal, and the Commission’s proposal must not be watered down or delayed."
WindEurope also provided some examples of how the deployment of wind energy can go hand in hand with nature conservation.
"The wind industry is constantly striving to mitigate its impact on nature and biodiversity and to accentuate its potentially positive impacts. We avoid building wind farms during bird nesting seasons or along major migratory routes. We reduce noise pollution for marine life when installing offshore wind farms by using air bubble curtains and hydro sound dampers."
"Wind farms can also have positive effects on local biodiversity by helping to preserve habitats and ecosystems. Once wind farms have been built, their sites are left largely undisturbed for many years. In offshore wind farms bottom trawling and dredging cannot take place, which helps the seabed to regenerate and fish stocks to recover, aided by the growth of molluscs on the turbine foundations. Through targeted compensation measures wind farm operators often create new and improved biotopes for local flora and fauna." |
|
We at EKOenergy are always enthusiastic to collaborate with new partners.
For further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch. |
|
|
|
|
