EKOenergy is a network of NGOs interested in sustainable energy that has established an ecolabel for electricity. The EKOenergy label sets criteria for consumer information, tracking the origin of electricity through guarantees of origin, sustainability of renewables, and additionality of green electricity purchases. Developed through wide consultations between 2009-2013, the label aims to ensure renewable electricity claims are properly tracked, result in new renewable development, and meet sustainability standards for impacts of different renewable sources. Suppliers must invest a minimum of 0.10€/MWh in an Environmental Fund used to mitigate impacts of hydropower and support good projects like river restoration.

1. What is EKOenergy?
Riku Eskelinen
Zanesljiva EKOenergija event in Ljubljana
28 February 2014

2. Content of the presentation
What is EKOenergy network and label?
The origin must be tracked properly
Additionality - does it result in new renewables?
Sustainability criteria for renewables
Environmental Fund
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3. What is EKOenergy?
EKOenergy is a network of NGOs interested in sustainable energy
31 member NGOs in 22 European countries including E-forum in Slovenia.
Its international secretariat is located in Helsinki, Finland
Its most important tool is EKOenergy, an ecolabel for electricity agreements.
EKOenergy label sets criteria on
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Consumer information
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Tracking the origin of electricity
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Sustainability of renewables
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Additionality of ”green” electricity purchases
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4. Based on wide, open consultations
Preparations for the new European ecolabel started in 2009. Between 2009
and 2013 over 400 NGOs and hundreds of speacialists were consulted.
”What kind of a power agreement can be claimed ecolabeled?
The result, a new European ecolabel for electricity was launched in 2013.
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5. The origin must be tracked properly
GOs are basic infrastructure of renewable electricity markets.
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avoidance of double counting and double sales
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simplify trading
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unified European system, legislative bases in EU RES directive
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carry important information about the origin of electricity
EKOenergy must be always tracked with GOs
A GO alone cannot guarantee positive environmental impacts! Green power
without sustainability criteria can have extremely devastating environment
and climate impacts.
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6. Additionality - does it result in new renewables?
Does a ”green power purchase lead to new renewable electricity
production?” Isn't hydropower production profitable without my purchase?
A supplier of EKOenergy must always invest minimum of 0,10€/MWh to the
EKOenergy Climate Fund, which invests in new renewables. If needed, we
can prove even 100% additionality.
First call for projects got 130 applications from 70 countries.
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7. Sustainability criteria for renewables
Palm oil from Indonesia - it is renewables but is it sustainable or climate
neutral? A hydropower station with fish passes is better than without fish
passes, right? Windpower station on important bird areas?
EKOenergy sets sustainability criteria to all renewables
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windpower is always outside bird areas and nature reserves
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hydropower stations are committed to implement environmental
measures recommended by rivers conservation specialists.
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bioenergy is of European origin and it fulfills sustainability and
energy efficiency criteria.
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8. Environmental Fund
A supplier pays minimum 0,10€/MWh to the Environmental Fund. The
money is used to mitigate negative impacts of hydropower stations.
In Finland the Fund has been piloted for three years. It generated 700.000€
funding for good projects.
So far we have funded: river restoration projects, research on built rivers,
fish pass plans and fish research. What could we fund in Slovenia?
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9. More information
www.ekoenergy.org
Riku Eskelinen
+358 50 572 7782, riku.eskelinen@sll.fi