Laggards, more than denialists, are hindering the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss.

"It will be interesting to see how the legislation and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol will develop over the coming years.", "We will be carbon neutral by 2050.", "We plan to set up a working group to write a proposal for our board." For anyone regularly facing corporate energy consumers, these are all too familiar responses. As if the current legal frameworks, the existing standards, and the range of affordable and available solutions weren't enough to move to action in the fight against the multiple crises humans are facing.

At EKOenergy, we always choose action over inaction, and our label is designed to invite and support energy consumers worldwide to move beyond plans and intentions:

- Thanks to the steadily growing network of EKOenergy providers, EKOenergy-labelled energy is available worldwide. For energy consumers of all sizes, including the companies of your supply chain.
- For many years, standards such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and groups such as CDP, RE100, and the Science-Based Targets Initiative have been encouraging companies to do more to speed up the transition to clean energy, and it's not a coincidence that many mention EKOenergy as a good tool for doing so.
- Thanks to a growing number of EKOenergy users, we can show more concrete results each year. You find some examples hereafter. Don't hesitate to contact us if you want to learn more.

For every MWh of EKOenergy, a minimum of €0.10 is allocated to funding new renewable energy projects in low- and middle-income countries, via our Climate Fund. We ensure that every cent of the contributions goes to carefully selected renewable energy projects coordinated by non-profit organisations. All funded projects contribute to the realisation of many Sustainable Development Goals and help extend the benefits of the renewable energy transition to all.

Over the past few weeks, we have received updates from several previously funded projects. Seeing such a concrete impact is encouraging!  

- We received photos from three recently finished Climate Fund projects in Mali. These projects, all implemented by women-led grassroots organisations (ENERGIA, AMADE PELCODE, and JIGIYA) in cooperation with local communities, brought solar-powered water pumps, lighting, and refrigeration to off-grid villages in the southern part of the country.

- Felm and its partner organisation Integral Cooperation in Cambodia sent us photos of their ongoing Climate Fund project in northeast Cambodia, where they are introducing solar power to improve food security in indigenous communities. In the project region, climate change is hitting hard: for those who don't have access to irrigation, farming is almost impossible during the dry season.

- Dodo, a Finnish environmental NGO, and its Gambian partner organisation, Freedom from Hunger Campaign (FFHC), are implementing a solar project to improve food security, support additional income-generating activities, and enhance forest restoration in Gambia. The project team has just shared an update and photos of the preparatory activities that have now begun. "We bought the solar panels and batteries for the food-processing station and the three forest stations at the beginning of the project because there is severe inflation in Gambia, and prices are rising rapidly. The installation for the Dumboto forest station will happen next week, and the solar system maintenance training for the Forestry Department staff will follow. The installation and solar training sessions for the two other stations are scheduled for early next year, while we expect the construction of the cool storage in Jiffarong to be finished by the end of this year." 

- Last but not least, the Nigerian NGO CREACC-NG (Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change) was a finalist for the prestigious .ORG Award, for a solar project they implemented in northern Nigeria with the financial support of EKOenergy's Climate Fund. Congratulations, CREACC-NG!

For an overview of all funded projects, have a look at our Climate Fund projects map.

"We dedicate this prestigious recognition to EKOenergy ecolabel for their generous funding of our innovative solar project in Bulbuli, Sokoto State. This project exemplifies our commitment to renewable energy and climate action, and we are honored to have been recognised for its impact."
 

- CREACC-NG (Centre for Renewable Energy and Action on Climate Change), on LinkedIn

In discussions about renewable energy, including sales meetings, the impact of consumers' choices is often at the forefront. Consumers who make a conscious choice expect their choice to make a positive difference, preferably as big as possible.

Impact is one of the key elements discussed during the review of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Guidance. Impact is what many sustainability teams need to demonstrate when they present their plans and need to justify the costs. Impact is a central topic of green energy conferences and events.

Impact is also the reason why EKOenergy exists. All EKOenergy users contribute to additional impact in various ways, individually and collectively.

- Concrete consumer demand for EKOenergy is the main reason why energy companies and energy consultants contact us and want to learn more about our requirements and processes.
- Every EKOenergy consumer gives us additional energy and impetus to continue our daily actions to promote renewables.
- Every EKOenergy consumer contributes at least 0.10€/MWh to our Climate Fund. These contributions are allocated to carefully selected solar projects in low- and middle-income countries. All funded projects contribute to many Sustainable Development Goals.
- As an environmental NGO, we cooperate with other entities, particularly civil society organisations, to contribute to the realisation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- EKOenergy facilitates positive and effective communication about renewable energy, inspiring more people and companies.
- And more.

Remember that our ecolabel can also be combined with other high-impact solutions. For example, energy procured via Power Purchase Agreements can get the EKOenergy label (if all our requirements are fulfilled) to generate additional positive impact well beyond the own green megawatt-hours.

"I don’t see a situation where EKOenergy couldn’t be recommended. Climate-neutral or fossil-free energy is already a basic product on the market, and most energy meets these criteria. The additional cost for EKOenergy is marginal, and it helps procure sustainable renewable energy. It also simplifies communication to consumers and stakeholders."
 

- The Reuse Center (Kierrätyskeskus), a proud user of EKOenergy in Finland

As EKOenergy grows, so grows our team. We recently welcomed Joanne (Hsin-Yuan) Lin as our Seller Relations Manager. Joanne will support the steadily growing community of authorised EKOenergy sellers in many ways.

With years of professional experience in sustainability across business and non-profit sectors, Joanne's expertise includes sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, project management, resource development, and communications.

If you are an authorised seller and need help to include EKOenergy in your marketing materials or to present EKOenergy to your clients, don't hesitate to contact Joanne! Are you an energy supplier, an energy consultant, or a seller of energy attribute certificates and have yet to become an EKOenergy seller? We'll happily explain the process!

 

- St Mary's Hospital Lacor, proud EKOenergy user in Uganda, on LinkedIn

We are thankful to all those who help consumers switch to renewable energy, and even more so if they mention EKOenergy as an excellent and impactful way to do so. Together, we can and will speed up the energy transition.

- Thanks, Ecohz, for mentioning EKOenergy in your presentation at The Physical & Financial Power Markets Course (the Nord Pool Academy) last week.

- Thanks, Mt.Stonegate, for dedicating an article to EKOenergy in your latest newsletter. "Navigating the eco-label landscape: the role of EKOenergy in promoting green energy".

- Thanks, Becour, for highlighting EKOenergy in your blog post about impactful renewable energy procurement. EKOenergy is indeed a tool to create impact.

If you are an EKOenergy consumer or an EKOenergy seller and want to write or talk about EKOenergy and EKOenergy's concrete results, never hesitate to contact us for text suggestions and visuals.

 

- Mt.Stonegate, Newsletter Volume 6, Issue 3, page 5

We are constantly expanding the network of authorised EKOenergy suppliers to serve the steadily growing group of consumers interested in EKOenergy.

In the first 10 months of 2024, we have already welcomed 36 new EKOenergy sellers from all inhabited continents. New sellers who joined in the past 2 weeks include Coral Future, Meteco, and Amiable Consultants. Welcome!

If you are an authorised seller, you can reach out to us at any time. We are also always open to brief catch-up meetings and happily present EKOenergy to new employees or your colleagues from other departments. Never hesitate to schedule a 15 to 30-minute time slot, for example as an informative coffee break or while you are having lunch.

We can present EKOenergy in many languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish, French, Turkish, German, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, and Finnish.

In September, 175 groups and organisations, including EKOenergy, signed a letter about Shell's divestment plans in Nigeria addressed to the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, and copied to Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In the letter, which was an initiative of the Nigerian NGO Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), we urged the decision-makers to block Shell's controversial divestment of its onshore oil fields. Shell wanted to push through the sale of its assets, owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), to Renaissance African Energy, a Special Purpose Vehicle based in the British Virgin Islands with murky ownership.

In mid-October, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) rejected Shell's proposed $1.3 billion sale of its onshore oilfields to Renaissance since the purchaser is not certified to manage the assets. This means that for now, Shell won't be able to pass responsibility (and the enormous bill) for the damage it caused to the environment and people's health to someone else.

Congratulations to HEDA Resource Centre and all others involved in this victory.

EKOenergy is a member of the Leapfrog Alliance, a non-profit coalition asking international standards, such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, to adopt clear(er) incentives to increase corporate investment in clean energy access in unelectrified and underserved communities globally.

Here are some of the reasons why we are a member of the Leapfrog Alliance:

- The current rules for renewable energy procurement are clear. There is no excuse for energy consumers to delay action.
- Many ongoing discussions about sourcing renewable energy (including those about using EACs for scopes 2 and 3) are about details. Even though they may be interesting for a small group of experts, they are counterproductive if consumers use these discussions as a reason to postpone their switch to renewable energy. (By the way, often they are about issues that will become increasingly irrelevant anyway as the energy transition moves on.)
- Instead, the real challenges are in expanding the benefits of the energy transition to the 750 million people who still live without access to electricity.
- As renewable energy becomes more easily accessible at reasonable prices everywhere, we encourage companies to use a part of the saved money on projects that bring renewable energy to underserved communities, e.g., by using our own Climate Fund.

The European Environment Agency (EEA)’s annual report on Trends and Projections in Europe explores historical trends, most recent progress, and projected future progress on climate change mitigation through reduced greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy gains, and improved energy efficiency. It builds upon data reported by the EU-27 Member States, five EEA member countries and nine Contracting Parties of the Energy Community.

This year's report, published last week, contains some hopeful information.

The total net greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union dropped by 8% last year!

The accelerating decarbonisation of the European economy has only been possible due to the rapid expansion of renewable energy, paired with the reduced use of fossil fuels. Further, the EU has managed to continue reducing its energy consumption: primary energy use has fallen by 19% since 2005, while final energy consumption saw an 11% reduction during the same timeframe, according to early estimates for 2023.

"The latest developments documented in this report highlight the need for sustained efforts to reduce emissions across the EU and progress towards climate neutrality. With the major legislative framework for 2030 now in place, attention can shift entirely to implementation to achieve targets. (...) Success in certain sectors and the rapid transition in specific countries demonstrate that significant emission reductions are achievable. However, continued focus and action will be necessary to maintain momentum and ensure that the EU remains on track to meet its climate goals."