EKOenergy

Last updated
EKOenergy
Formation2013
TypeNonprofit organization
PurposePromotion of renewable energy, climate action, nature conservation
HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
Coordinates60.15315307591925, 24.87901093177771
Area served
Worldwide
Official language
English (+ provides services in more than 15 languages)
Main organ
EKOenergy's steering group, which reports to the Board of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
Parent organization
Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto ry)
Staff
4
Website www.ekoenergy.org

EKOenergy is a globally active nonprofit ecolabel for renewable energy (electricity, gas, and heat and cold). [1] It is owned by the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation [2] [3] and managed in cooperation with other environmental NGOs.

Contents

EKOenergy started in 2013 in Europe. Nowadays, EKOenergy-labelled energy is available worldwide. In 2022, the label was used in more than 70 countries. [4] Its materials are available in more than 30 languages. [5] [6]

Awards and recognition

Label

EKOenergy logo.jpg

Other language version of the label can be found in various countries. E.g. EKOénergie in France, [13] EKOenergie in Germany or EKOenergia in Finland. [14]

Criteria of the ecolabel

EKOenergy's criteria are approved and updated following the rules of the ISEAL Standard Setting Code. All criteria texts are publicly available on EKOenergy's website.

The criteria take following aspects into account.

EKOenergy logo on diapers made by P&G (Pampers) EKOenergy-logo-on-pampers-package-France.jpg
EKOenergy logo on diapers made by P&G (Pampers)

The EKOenergy logo depicts a green plug sprouting from a plant flanked by two leaves. The logo can only be used by authorised sellers, when they are selling EKOenergy-labelled energy, and by consumers of EKOenergy-labelled energy. The conditions are explained in EKOenergy's brand book. [22]

The logo can be found on products made using EKOenergy-labelled electricity/energy.

Users of EKOenergy

Well-known users of EKOenergy-ecolabelled electricity include the European telecom operator Iliad Group, [23] Microsoft, [24] the German glass manufacturer SCHOTT, [25] SAP [26] and Pampers [27] (Procter & Gamble).

Concrete results

Solar project in Tanzania Eko tan.jpg
Solar project in Tanzania

Climate Fund

For each MWh of EKOenergy sold, a contribution of 0.10€ goes to EKOenergy's Climate Fund. This money is used to finance renewable energy projects that would not have happened without the contributions. These projects are managed by experienced organisations. All projects are selected in an open process, with sellers, buyers and independent experts actively involved. [28] [29]

Examples of funded projects include:

River restorations Eko flu.jpg
River restorations

EKOenergy's Environmental Fund and nature conservation

Whenever hydropower is sold with the EKOenergy label, €0.10/ MWh go to the Environmental Fund, to finance river restoration projects. [33] Examples of earlier funded projects:

EKOenergy mentioned by other environmental standards

LEED

The LEED Standard explicitly recommends the use of EKOenergy labelled electricity. [36] Buildings aiming at LEED certification can get extra points if the electricity used in that building is EKOenergy certified. The text “LEED 2009 BD+C Supplemental Reference Guide with Alternative Compliance Paths for Europe” [37] gives EKOenergy the same status as Green-e certified RECs in the US. They write: "The EKOenergy electricity certification scheme represents the best available pan-European option for the sustainable and additional consumption of renewable electricity within Europe. EKOenergy certifies renewable electricity that goes beyond the regulations of European directives and national governments of Europe."

Greenhouse Gas Protocol

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol is a worldwide standard for carbon accounting. It is a joint product of the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. In January 2015, the Secretariat of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol published the Scope 2 Guidance, which gave advice about carbon accounting. The Guidance refers to EKOenergy several times. Chapter 11, which encourages companies to go one step further, refers to EKOenergy’s Climate Fund. [38] [39]

Nordic Ecolabel

The Nordic swan covers 59 product groups, including more than 200 product types.

Several of criteria give extra points for the use of EKOenergy-labelled electricity, such as the criteria for Printing Companies and Printed Matter [40] and the criteria for Food Services and Conference Facilities. [41]

Related Research Articles

The Renewables Obligation (RO) was designed to encourage generation of electricity from eligible renewable sources in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in April 2002, both in England and Wales and in Scotland albeit in a slightly different form: the Renewables Obligation (Scotland). The RO was later introduced in Northern Ireland in April 2005. In all cases, replacing the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation which operated from 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmentally friendly</span> Sustainability and marketing term

Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes, are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that claim reduced, minimal, or no harm upon ecosystems or the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecolabel</span> Labeling systems for food and consumer products

Ecolabels and Green Stickers are labeling systems for food and consumer products. The use of ecolabels is voluntary, whereas green stickers are mandated by law; for example, in North America major appliances and automobiles use Energy Star. They are a form of sustainability measurement directed at consumers, intended to make it easy to take environmental concerns into account when shopping. Some labels quantify pollution or energy consumption by way of index scores or units of measurement, while others assert compliance with a set of practices or minimum requirements for sustainability or reduction of harm to the environment. Many ecolabels are focused on minimising the negative ecological impacts of primary production or resource extraction in a given sector or commodity through a set of good practices that are captured in a sustainability standard. Through a verification process, usually referred to as "certification", a farm, forest, fishery, or mine can show that it complies with a standard and earn the right to sell its products as certified through the supply chain, often resulting in a consumer-facing ecolabel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortum</span> Finnish energy company

Fortum Oyj is a Finnish state-owned energy company located in Espoo, Finland. It mainly focuses on the Nordic region. Fortum operates power plants, including co-generation plants, and generates and sells electricity and heat. The company also sells waste services such as recycling, reutilisation, final disposal solutions and soil remediation and environmental constructions services, and other energy-related services and products e.g. consultancy services for power plants and electric vehicle charging. Fortum is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange.

Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), also known as Green tags, Renewable Energy Credits, Renewable Electricity Certificates, or Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), are tradable, non-tangible energy certificates in the United States that represent proof that 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity was generated from an eligible renewable energy resource and was fed into the shared system of power lines which transport energy. Solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) are RECs that are specifically generated by solar energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in France</span>

According to the International Energy Agency, France has historically generated a very low level of carbon dioxide emissions compared to other G7 economies due to its reliance on nuclear energy. Energy in France was generated from five primary sources: nuclear power, natural gas, liquid fuels, renewables and coal. In 2020, nuclear power made up the largest portion of electricity generation, at around 78%. Coal energy is declining and due to cease. Renewables accounted for 19.1% of energy consumption in 2020. France has the largest share of nuclear electricity in the world. The country is also among the world's biggest net exporters of electricity. The country is increasingly investing in renewable energy and has set a target of 32% by 2030.

Green electricity in Australia is available from a number of utilities that supply electricity from environmentally friendly energy sources that are renewable and non-polluting. In Australia green energy is accredited under the GreenPower scheme whereby all distributors are government audited bi-annually to ensure that customers are getting exactly what is described in their purchased products. The growth and development of the green energy industry was tracked in Australia by the ALTEX-Australia alternative energy index from 2006 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in the United Kingdom</span>

Renewable energy in the United Kingdom contributes to production for electricity, heat, and transport.

A Guarantee of Origin is an energy certificate defined in article 19 of the European Directive 2018/2001/EC. A GO certifies attributes of electricity, gas, heating and cooling, especially coming from renewable sources and provides information to energy customers on the source of their energy. Guarantees of Origin are the only defined instruments evidencing the origin of electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar power in the European Union</span>

Solar power consists of photovoltaics (PV) and solar thermal energy in the European Union (EU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Switzerland</span>

Energy in Switzerland is transitioning towards sustainability, targeting net zero emissions by 2050 and a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The Renewable Energy Certificate System (RECS) was a voluntary system for international trade in renewable energy certificates that was created by RECS International to stimulate the international development of renewable energy. It advocated the use of a standard energy certificate to provide evidence of the production of a quantity of renewable energy and provided a methodology that enables renewable energy trade, enabling the creation of a market for renewable energy and so promoting the development of new renewable energy capacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar power in Hawaii</span> Overview of solar power in the U.S. state of Hawaii

The energy sector in Hawaii has rapidly adopted solar power due to the high costs of electricity, and good solar resources, and has one of the highest per capita rates of solar power in the United States. Hawaii's imported energy costs, mostly for imported petroleum and coal, are three to four times higher than the mainland, so Hawaii has motivation to become one of the highest users of solar energy. Hawaii was the first state in the United States to reach grid parity for photovoltaics. Its tropical location provides abundant ambient energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">100Green</span> British sustainable energy company

100Green, operating as Green Energy (UK) Ltd, is a British independent-energy company based in Ware, Hertfordshire. It was established in 2001 by CEO Douglas Stewart. The company provides Ofgem-certified renewable electricity and green gas to domestic and business customers throughout Great Britain. It is currently the only energy supplier in the UK to offer 100% green gas.

Sustainable products are products either sustainably sourced, manufactured or processed and provide environmental, social, and economic benefits while protecting public health and the environment throughout their whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to the final disposal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renewable energy in Lithuania</span>

Renewable energy in Lithuania constitutes some energy produced in the country. In 2016, it constituted 27.9% of the country's overall electricity generation. Previously, the Lithuanian government aimed to generate 23% of total power from renewable resources by 2020, the goal was achieved in 2014 (23.9%).

Renewable energy in Chile is classified as Conventional and Non Conventional Renewable Energy (NCRE), and includes biomass, hydro-power, geothermal, wind and solar among other energy sources. Usually, when referring to Renewable Energy in Chile, it will be the Non Conventional kind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy in Liechtenstein</span>

Energy in Liechtenstein describes energy production, consumption and import in Liechtenstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consumer green energy program</span> Program that enables households to buy energy from renewable sources

A consumer green energy program is a program that enables households to buy energy from renewable sources. By allowing consumers to purchase renewable energy, it simultaneously diverts the utilization of fossil fuels and promotes the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Development Goal 7</span> Seventh of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to achieve affordable and clean energy for all by 2035

Sustainable Development Goal 7 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. It aims to "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all." Access to energy is an important pillar for the wellbeing of the people as well as for economic development and poverty alleviation.

References

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  2. "The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation".
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