Energy use accounts for about two thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions, and yet billions still lack decent access to energy.

To promote the energy transition and make clean energy available for all, the United Nations has launched the Energy Compacts initiative. Energy Compacts are voluntary commitments from Member States and all other stakeholders, such as companies, NGOs and others, that outline the specific actions they will take to advance progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, i.e. affordable and clean energy.

Energy Compact commitments are designed to be fully in line with SDG Acceleration Actions and Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. The UN-Energy department supports the development, mobilisation and monitoring of Energy Compacts throughout the entire cycle.

We are happy to announce that EKOenergy's commitment to promote renewable energy has been accepted under the Energy Compacts. In our Energy Compact, the focus is particularly on the annually growing impact of our Climate Fund, through which we finance renewable energy installations in developing countries.

 

- Aboubacar Diamoutene, mayor of the rural municipality of Pimperna, in a video about one of the solar projects we have financed in Mali

Did you know that the EKOenergy ecolabel can be combined with all types of renewable energy sourcing? This includes on-site installations too.

You can read more about EKOenergy from on-site installations and PPAs on our website.

In the past few weeks, several consumers announced their use of EKOenergy from solar power produced on site: for example, Grupo Macho and Grupo ACB in Spain (via our licensed seller Quantica Renovables) and Colgate Palmolive and Lácteos San Antonio in Ecuador (via our licensee DeltaGlobal).

We also got a well made video about the opening ceremony of the on-site installation at the ECOTEC University in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Many thanks to Javier Alvarado, CEO of DeltaGlobal, for the nice words about our ecolabel.

 

- Karem Gonzalez Palma, Director of liaison with the society, ECOTEC University, Ecuador, on YouTube

For each MWh of EKOenergy consumption, our licensees contribute 0.10€ to our Climate Fund for financing new clean energy projects in developing countries. All projects are selected through a transparent process.

We have opened our new call for solar and wind energy projects for 2022. Experienced non-profit organisations are welcome to submit project proposals by 15 February 2022. The proposed projects must be implemented in cooperation with local communities and should cost about 10,000€ to 40,000€ each. We are looking to fund 6 to 8 projects.

As always, we encourage EKOenergy's partners, licensees and consumers to participate in the selection process. Contact us for more information.

 

- Liesbeth Switten, Secretary General of AIB, during the 13th European Citizens' Energy Forum

Consumers of EKOenergy-labelled hydropower don’t only help us finance renewable energy projects but also contribute to the restoration of river biodiversity.

Thanks to the use of EKOenergy-labelled hydropower in Germany, we were able to provide a financing of 21,984.94 € for the revitalisation and restoration of the Schnegaer Mühlenbach. This small stream in Lower Saxony, Germany, is a habitat for rare species such as brook mussels, otters, brook lamprey, brook trout and stream dragonflies.

The project was implemented by Ökologische Station Landgraben-Dumme-Niederung, a local division of Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND), one of Germany’s largest nature conservation associations. You can learn more about this project on our website.

We regularly receive updates from the clean energy projects we have recently financed.

We are also happy to see that Practical Action, to which we have granted 145,000€ between 2016 and now, is one of the 4 NGOs supported by the Guardian and Observer charity appeal 2021 for their contributions to helping protect the rights of marginalised people most affected by the climate crisis!

 

- Usman Muhammad from CREACC in Nigeria, about a recent Climate Fund project

The demand for EKOenergy-labelled energy helps us promote renewable energy in many countries. Turkey is one of the countries we have been focusing on for several years.

Most of our materials are available in Turkish and we are in regular contact with Turkish stakeholders: authorities, energy companies, energy consumers, NGOs and others.

Last Monday, Merve Güngör from our Secretariat gave a presentation about EKOenergy's role in empowering consumers at a webinar organised by the Turkish electricity industry federation TESAB (Eurelectric Turkey).

 

- Icíar Montes, one of the European Solidarity Corps volunteers at our Secretariat, at the end of her project

By following EKOenergy on social media, you get relevant updates with regard to the climate crisis, renewable energy and EKOenergy's activities worldwide.

Here are some recent posts:

There is an emerging consensus that the rapid and early decarbonisation of electricity is an essential feature of any credible net zero plan.

Clean power delivers a positive feedback loop of emissions reductions through electrification of sectors like transport, heating and industry. Without it, economy-wide decarbonisation is impossible.

However, to unlock these benefits, zero-carbon power must be achieved well in advance of mid-century net zero targets. The International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Roadmap sees advanced economies like the EU decarbonising their electricity by 2035. The EU’s own modelling puts this milestone soon after.

The big players are already starting to take note. The UK, US and Canada have all made commitments to achieve emissions-free electricity by 2035. A number of European countries, including Germany, Spain, Portugal, the UK and the Netherlands, are targeting a renewables-dominated electricity system in the 2030s, while France, Sweden and Denmark already burn minimal fossil fuels.

Copied from a recent text by climate and energy think tank Ember