The new standard sets out the technical requirements for the label to be used on individual products. The draft proposal will now be subject to one month public consultation.
The new label has been eagerly awaited by market participants and the new standard will require participating companies to source at least 75 percent of the electricity used for manufacturing a product or producing a service from wind power and other renewable energy technologies. A cradle-to-gate approach means that the label will cover the entire power consumption for all product components from the extraction of raw materials to the product leaving the factory gate.
“The 75% level and the cradle-to-gate approach are set to strike a balance between an ambitious target and an achievable goal for progressive companies striving to make a tangible difference” added Mieke Langie, WindMade's Director, Standards & Labeling. “This approach ensures that the label is meaningful, and it makes it robust and credible to consumers. In addition, the renewable power can be sourced through a variety of methods, such as own-generation projects, power purchase agreements, recognised green credentials or approved green power tariffs provided by power suppliers, granting a great deal of flexibility for companies.”
The proposed standard has been developed by a Technical Committee consisting of experts from WWF International, Becton, Dickinson & Co, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Climate Friendly, the Gold Standard Foundation and Vestas. The first draft was also reviewed by a Sounding Board comprising representatives from international companies and organisations including e3light, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Greenpeace International.
“With introducing the Product Label, WindMade has reached another milestone, and interest in the market indicates that the uptake of this label will be considerable” said Steve Sawyer, Chairman of the WindMade Board and Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council. “We hope to see widespread participation in the public consultation and strongly encourage interested parties to review and comment on the standard.”
The consultation will close on 2 June 2013 and the final WindMade Standard is expected to presented just before the summer. This will then mark the starting point for companies to officially begin applying for membership and to undergo the certification process for products and services.
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