WindMade, a global consumer label for companies using wind energy, was presented to the public today to coincide with Global Wind Day. The proposed standard requires participating companies to source a minimum of 25% of their electricity demand from wind power.
‘The initiative is backed by the wind power industry, and we believe that the label will build a bridge between consumers and companies committed to clean energy,’ says Steve Sawyer, chairman of the WindMade board and secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
The proposed WindMade standard was developed by a technical committee of experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the American Wind Energy Association, LEGO, Climate Friendly, Gold Standard and Vestas, with Oko-Institut and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) acting as advisers.
The first draft of the standard has been reviewed by a sounding board, which comprises representatives from international companies and organizations including Walmart, 3Degrees, Better Place and Dong Energy.
Pioneered by Vestas, the WindMade initiative was founded as a cooperation between the GWEC, WWF, Vestas, LEGO, the United Nations Global Compact, PwC (as official verification partner) and Bloomberg (official data provider).
Following contributions from the public consultation, which will close on Aug. 15, the final WindMade standard for companies is expected to be presented in September. This will mark the starting point for companies to officially begin applying for WindMade membership and to undergo the certification process.
Details of product certification and labeling will follow later this year.
