"We need the energy turnaround and even more renewable energies," says NABU Federal Director Leif Miller. "But renewable energy plants also mean an intervention in nature and the environment with sometimes serious side effects. That's why it's important that nature conservation criteria are taken into account right from the funding stage. The Grüner Strom-Label is a good example of linking funding and current nature conservation standards."
Green electricity certification obliges energy providers to promote new plants and innovative energy projects. Environmental requirements, which often go beyond the legal requirements, regulate which renewable power plants the subsidies go to. They were further specified and expanded in the new catalog of criteria, which was published last year and became binding at the beginning of 2016.
New open-space solar installations, for example, are only eligible on sealed or pre-existing surfaces, or at least on surfaces with low conservation significance. Their impact on the natural balance should be as low as possible. Strict criteria also apply to new biomass and hydropower plants. Voluntary nature conservation measures can now also be funded for many technologies, for example onshore wind energy.
"For our sponsoring associations - including leading nature conservation organizations - it is crucial that renewable energies are expanded quickly and at the same time in an environmentally compatible manner. In the current political and energy situation, this is not something that can be taken for granted," explains Rosa Hemmers, Chair of Grüner Strom Label e.V. and board member of EUROSOLAR Deutschland. "With most green power products on the market, there is unfortunately no direct support for new plants, let alone additional environmental requirements. For the products we certify, we therefore focus even more strongly than before on guaranteed investments in ecologically particularly high-quality plants."
The new Green Electricity criteria can be viewed at www.gruenerstromlabel.de/gruener-strom/kriterienkatalog
About Grüner Strom Label e.V.
The Grüner Strom Label e.V. certifies green energy products. The association awards two seals of approval for this purpose: the Green Electricity Label for green electricity with added value and the Green Gas Label for environmentally compatible biogas. The association is backed by seven non-profit environmental and consumer associations and peace organizations. The Green Electricity and Green Gas labels are the only quality seals for green electricity and biogas in Germany that are supported by leading environmental associations.
Contact
Kathrin Klinkusch, NABU, tel. 030-284984-1510, Kathrin.Klinkusch(at)nabu.de
