Label identifies products that are made with wind energy

While many companies have made statements about their commitment to renewable energy, at the present time consumers have no way to verify the source of the energy used. The organisations hope that the WindMade label will offer them the transparency they require for making informed choices.

’We want to build a bridge between consumers and companies committed to clean energy, and give consumers the option to choose more sustainable products. We hope that this will create a strong element of consumer pull that will accelerate the pace of wind-energy development globally,’ said Ditlev Engel, chief executive officer and president for Vestas Wind Systems, who pioneered the WindMade initiative. ’We strongly encourage forward-looking companies to join us in this effort.’

The WindMade consortium hopes to attract leading consumer brands as members. To use the WindMade label for their communications or products, WindMade members will undergo a certification process to verify their wind-energy procurement. The standard for certification is currently being developed by a technical expert group. The aim will be to drive the development of new wind-power plants, over and above what would be developed anyway.

’It is crucial that the WindMade criteria live up to the high standards necessary for the label to serve consumers’ desire to make tangible impact and boost clean renewables,’ said James Leape, director general of the WWF.

The WindMade initiative will be presented in more detail at a gathering of the founding partners during the World Economic Forum in Davos on 28 February.