In several parts of the world, the price of renewable energy (including the cost of the Energy Attribute Certificate) has dropped compared to the same period last year. As a result, many consumers now notice they are spending less than they had budgeted.

If such consumers want to dedicate a part of their savings to the energy transition in a different way, consider EKOenergy and EKOenergy's Climate Fund.

All EKOenergy users contribute a minimum of €0.10 per megawatt-hour to EKOenergy's Climate Fund. These payments are used to fund impactful renewable energy projects in low- and middle-income countries. Projects are selected following strict selection criteria and all contribute to multiple Sustainable Development Goals. Examples include installing solar systems in off-grid schools and hospitals, introducing solar-powered pumping and refrigeration in rural communities, and providing solar-powered lights and fans to families in need.

Each year, we receive many more project proposals than we can fund, so additional support is welcome at any time. Higher contributions to our Climate Fund enable us to fund more and larger renewable energy projects in communities that need it most. If you are interested in learning more, please get in touch.

Did you know that our label can also be used in combination with on-site produced solar power? Home-made EKOenergy!

For owners of on-site installations, EKOenergy is an easy way to promote renewable energy beyond their roof. By choosing our ecolabel, energy users support us in promoting the energy transition worldwide and contribute to funding renewable energy installations in low- and middle-income countries. EKOenergy users can also use our internationally recognised logo in their communication to raise awareness.

Over the past few weeks, we welcomed a diverse group of solar panel owners to the steadily growing community of EKOenergy users. For example, a manufacturer from Mashhad in Iran (i.e. the first EKOenergy user in Iran!), a business based in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, and a municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain.

Welcome to all; it's great to have you on board. Together, we are speeding up the energy transition.

 

- Practical Action, in an article about an event on the role of women in finding answers to the climate crisis (The event took place in the Bolivian Parliament building).

EKOenergy's Secretariat is growing. Gustav Nygrén has joined our team as main contact person for large, multinational energy users.

The EKOenergy ecolabel addresses several of the specific needs of multinational businesses.

- Our label is available globally, thanks to a growing network of authorised EKOenergy sellers.
- EKOenergy-labelled electricity always fulfils the requirements of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Guidance.
- EKOenergy is a tool to make an additional positive impact and contribute to multiple Sustainable Development Goals.
- It is market-conform and flexible.
- Consumers choosing EKOenergy can use our internationally recognised logo and name in their communication.
- And much more!

Do you want to hear more? Schedule a meeting with Gustav!

 

- Powersol, on LinkedIn. Thanks for working with EKOenergy!

We recently welcomed a new consumer of EKOenergy-labelled biomethane. Ecohz facilitated the deal and wrote a nice article about it, based on an interview with Steven Vanholme from EKOenergy's Secretariat.

More companies are turning to biomethane to curb emissions. However, it is hard to find the most sustainable and impactful product. A non-profit ecolabel can simplify that choice.

"The raw materials used to make biomethane are tricky," explains Steven Vanholme. Although biomethane is always renewable, crops used as feedstock could have other environmental effects, such as land use change or displacing food crops.

Consumers of EKOenergy-labelled renewable gas contribute to EKOenergy's Climate Fund, in the same way as consumers of EKOenergy-labelled electricity. "It is great when companies switch to renewable energy in places like Europe. But many people don't have this opportunity," Vanholme says. "When you buy EKOenergy you also signal international solidarity."

"Market instruments underpin environmental finance and verifiable business claims. Despite critiques, the voluntary system for corporate environmental action and resulting markets that drive the green transformation cannot function without them."
 

- Doug Miller, on the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy website

EKOenergy is proud and happy to be a supporting association of the I-REC Standard Conference (ISC) 2024. The conference will take place in São Paulo, Brazil, on the 2nd & 3rd of July 2024. Pre-conference sessions will be held on the 1st of July 2024.

The conference will provide opportunities to evaluate, review, and discuss many exciting developments: the growing I-REC markets, the recognition of I-REC certificates in standards and policy documents worldwide, the development of tracking instruments for other types of energy such as biomethane and hydrogen, and much more.

Reliable tracking is one of EKOenergy's key requirements. We have endorsed I-REC certificates as reliable tracking instruments since the launch of the I-REC standard in 2014-2015, and in many countries, we have reached out to stakeholders and entered the energy markets side by side with I-REC users. It's amazing to see the growing uptake of the standard. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to speed up the energy transition in the coming years.

Check out the conference webpage for more information and registration.

All contributions to EKOenergy's Climate Fund go to carefully selected, impactful renewable energy projects in low- and middle-income countries.

EKOenergy's Secretariat coordinates the selection processes. We also involve experts from several fields and a group of EKOenergy sellers and corporate consumers each time. This involvement is voluntary and serves a dual purpose: ensuring high quality and significant impact while helping us manage potential risks.

The selection process for this year's Climate Fund projects is ongoing.  If you are an expert, an EKOenergy-authorised seller, or a corporate consumer and would like to read project proposals and share your thoughts and comments with us, please get in touch with Laura Blomberg, our Climate Fund Coordinator.

 

- Toby D. Couture, on LinkedIn

EKOenergy is a supporters of the #3xRenewables campaign. From September to December 2023, the campaign urged world leaders to set an ambitious target of tripling renewable energy capacity to 11,000 GW by 2030.

The first milestone of the campaign was reached in December at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai when world leaders agreed to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.

In the campaign's second phase, #Time4Action, we call on governments and policymakers to deliver on their commitment!

#Time4Action focuses on action in the fields of financing, permitting, supply chains, and grid development and connection:

- Finance: Mobilise $10 trillion in renewables investments!
- Action for permits: Speed up permitting processes!
- Supply chain: Fortify supply chains to increase resilience!
- Grid: Build and optimise grid infrastructure!

Stay connected with EKOenergy on social media to receive relevant updates on the global climate crisis, renewable energy, and climate action. By reacting to our posts occasionally, you help us spread our message and ensure that our future posts will also show up in your feed.

Here are some of our recent posts:

- The EKOenergy logo illustrates our attachment to nature and our commitment to promoting nature protection and restoration. (From our LinkedIn)

- Our EKOappetite campaign is targeting companies in the food sector, encouraging them to switch to sustainable, renewable energy. We are now in the supermarket, collecting some good examples to inspire many other food producers. (From our Instagram)

- As part of the careful Climate Fund selection process, we conduct interviews with applicant organisations. The interviews serve various purposes and benefits for both sides, such as helping us better understand the project and collaboratively considering ways to enhance the project's impact further. The interviews also help us determine how to improve our funding and the related selection processes. (From our LinkedIn)

- What is the difference between fossil-free energy, renewable energy, and EKOenergy? (From our YouTube)

- Women are disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change and energy poverty. By demanding climate action, we want to create a better and safer world for everyone, and especially those who are most negatively impacted by climate change and its multiple ramifications. (From our Facebook)

- We are very happy to welcome our 86th European Solidarity Corps Volunteer: Karya from Türkiye. (From our Instagram)

Here are some remarkable findings and conclusions from the International Energy Agency (IEA)'s Electricity 2024 report. While reading them, remember that the IEA has consistently underestimated the potential of renewable energy and continues doing so.

- Record-breaking electricity generation from low-emissions sources is set to cover all global demand growth over the next three years. Low-emissions sources, which will reduce the role of fossil fuels in producing electricity globally, are forecast to account for almost half of the world’s electricity generation by 2026, up from 39% in 2023. Over the next three years, low-emissions generation is set to rise at twice the annual growth rate between 2018 and 2023 – a consequential change, given that the power sector contributes the most to global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions today.

- The rapid growth of renewables, supported by rising nuclear generation, is set to displace global coal-fired generation, which is forecast to fall by an average of 1.7% annually through 2026. This follows a 1.6% increase in coal-fired output in 2023 amid droughts in India and China that reduced hydropower output and increased coal-fired generation.

- As clean electricity supply continues to expand rapidly, the share of fossil fuels in global generation is forecast to decline from 61% in 2023 to 54% in 2026, falling below 60% for the first time in IEA records dating back to 1971

- While electricity use per capita in India and Southeast Asia is rapidly rising, it has been effectively stagnant in Africa for more than three decades. Per capita consumption in Africa even declined in recent years as the population grew faster than electricity supply was made available, and it's only expected to recover to its 2010-15 levels by the end of 2026 at the earliest. Thirty years ago, a person in Africa consumed more electricity on average than someone living in India or Southeast Asia. In 2023 Africa's per capita electricity consumption was half that of India and 70% lower than in Southeast Asia.  

For more findings and forecasts, check out Electricity 2024 - Analysis and forecast to 2026.