News from EKOenergy

Edition 74  -  21 November 2016

Recently there has again been plenty of good news, e.g. about the spectacular growth rates of the renewable energy sector and about the falling production costs of renewable energy.

At the same time, we also got a strong reminder, that much more needs to be done and that it won't happen automatically. The few persisting climate deniers will soon be leading the strongest economy on earth. And all over the world states continue to massively subsidise the fossil fuel industry.

With EKOenergy, we give consumers and suppliers a change to speak out on behalf of a 100% renewable and sustainable world. We do that in close cooperation with a growing number of environmental organisations and experts. Individually we can make a difference, but together we are unstoppable.

This is a great moment to join our strengths: switch to EKOenergy, start selling EKOenergy, use the EKOenergy logo.

Two weeks ago Protect Our Winters Finland and EKOenergy joined strengths. We launched a campaign to convince ski resorts (and other friends of winter) to switch to EKOenergy certified electricity.

Click here for the campaign video, starring Enni Rukajärvi, a Finnish snowboarder and silver medalist at the last Winter Olympics.

Already four ski centres have made the switch: Sappee, Salla, Kokonniemi and Pääskyvuori. 

And more will follow!

Interested in bringing this campaign to your country? Contact us for more information.

"Choosing renewable energy is no longer something for frontrunners alone. It is the logical choice. We chose wind energy, to show our support to the further development of this type of energy in Finland. And we wanted it to be EKOenergy certified to be sure that the turbines are not located in important bird areas."

Ville Heinilä, head of the environmental department, Helsinki Reuse Centre (in Finnish)

For every MWh of hydropower sold as EKOenergy, the seller pays 0.10€ to EKOenergy's environmental fund.

EKOenergy will donate 30.000€ euro to a project which will study and prepare the removal of an unused dam on the Tainionvirta river in Finland.

The Tainionvirta flows into the Päijänne lake and the dam is one of the last remaining obstacles hindering the migration of the almost disappeared trout population of that lake. Spawning areas upstream of Virtaankoski power plant have already been restored.

The goal of the project is to plan the opening of the migration route, to prepare the documents for the permit application (a permit is required to remove a dam) and to search for funding.

More than 40 large German companies and trade associations are demanding more climate ambition and a bold implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement in Germany.

One of the signatories is Schüco, a leading supplier of high-quality window, door and façade systems. Earlier this year Schüco showed their support for a 100% renewable economy by switching to EKOenergy certified electricity.

The companies are encouraging the German government to adopt a long-term decarbonisation plan.

Click here for the Business Statement on Germany’s Draft 2050 Low-Carbon Plan.

"Let's help consumers to get rid of fossil fuels. Let's help consumers to really make a difference by choosing for sustainably produced electricity and by making sure that a part of the price is used to finance new renewable installations"

Petter Nissinen, giving a training to the marketing department of one of EKOenergy's licensed sellers. Do you want a session for your sales team too? Contact us at info@ekoenergy.org

Every day, the group of EKOenergy users grows. Amongst the latest to join the pack are Favini (Italy). hotel Palacio de Prelo, (Asturias, Spain) and the Helsinki Reuse Center (Finland).

These are three very different consumers: different size, different sectors, different consumption profile,... but they are all united by the same willingness to show leadership. Welcome and great to have all of you on board!

Consumers choosing for EKOenergy

-   get electricity from power plants with minimal environmental impacts
-   contribute to a 100% renewable world
-   can freely use the EKOenergy logo in their own communication.

At the climate summit in Marrakech many countries announced they will phase out fossil and go for a 100% renewable energy scenario. 

Simultaneously, 10 Finnish political youth and student  organisations started a campaign to convince the Finnish state to use 100% renewable and sustainable electricity in the public sector. 

The campaign text refers explicitly to EKOenergy and EKOenergy's sustainability criteria. The campaign was launched by the liberal youth organisation (Finnish Centre Youth) and has got the support of youth organisations from most other political families.

Great to see how renewable energy is uniting people! This will work.

The Climate Change Performance Index is a tool designed to enhance transparency in international climate politics. On the basis of standardised criteria, the Index evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 58 countries that are together responsible for more than 90% of global energy-related CO₂ emissions. The first three ranks are left blank because up to now no country is acting enough to prevent dangerous climate change.

This year’s Climate Change Performance Index confirms a boost for renewable energy and positive developments in energy efficiency.

Morocco (rank 8th), this year's host of COP22 continued its upward trend in the CCPI 2017. With massive investments in renewable energy and ambitious mid- and long-term targets, Morocco is a frontrunner in Africa. Positive trends are seen as well among emerging economies of the G20 like India (20th), Argentina (36th) and Brazil (40th) which all improved their ranking in the CCPI 2017.