EKOenergy ecolabel

What EKOenergy ecolabel does

EKOenergy is a global nonprofit ecolabel for renewable energy, launched in 2013 and operated as a project of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation (Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto ry) from its secretariat in Helsinki, Finland. The organization certifies renewable electricity, gas, and heat that meet sustainability criteria exceeding standard renewable energy certifications, including requirements for tracking and additionality. The technical backbone is a book-and-claim certification system anchored by the EKOdirect database, which catalogues pre-approved renewable installations and grew from roughly 4,500 to over 7,750 entries.

EKOenergy monetizes primarily through licensing: authorized energy sellers pay for the right to apply the EKOenergy label on their renewable energy products, with a minimum contribution of €0.10 per megawatt-hour directed to the Climate Fund. The Climate Fund finances renewable energy projects in low- and middle-income countries, particularly off-grid solar installations for disadvantaged communities, while a separate Environmental Fund finances river restoration to mitigate hydropower impacts. Distribution is channel-led: more than 160 authorized sellers across 70+ countries and all inhabited continents make EKOenergy-labelled energy accessible to international companies (including at least 24 RE100 members such as Microsoft and Iliad Group), cities and municipalities, and households. The label is explicitly recognized in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Guidance, the UN DESA SDG Good Practices publication, and the UN Energy Compacts Progress Report 2024, which underpins its positioning as the most credible voluntary renewable energy ecolabel for buyers seeking verifiable additionality beyond carbon neutrality.

Name

EKOenergy ecolabel

Legal name

Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto ry (Finnish Association for Nature Conservation)

Website

https://ekoenergy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EKOenergy is a global nonprofit ecolabel, founded in 2013 under the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, that certifies renewable electricity, gas, and heat against extra sustainability criteria and finances Climate Fund projects in low- and middle-income countries via a network of 160+ authorized sellers in 70+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy Certification Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Standards, Certification & Compliance (RECs/GOs, sustainability reporting) (EUAMANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Policy & Regulatory Strategy (National/State/Local) (EUAMANAA), Energy Justice, Equity & Ratepayer Impact Analysis (EUAMANAN)

Keywords

• Renewable energy certification
• Energy ecolabel
• Climate fund financing
• Renewable electricity tracking
• Sustainability certification services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ecolabel Licensing: Energy sellers pay for the right to use the EKOenergy label on their renewable energy products. For each MWh sold with the EKOenergy label, €0.10 minimum is contributed to the Climate Fund for renewable energy projects in developing countries. The organization also receives additional voluntary contributions to the Climate Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EKOenergy is a nonprofit ecolabel that certifies renewable electricity, gas, and heat against sustainability criteria that exceed standard renewable energy certifications. Authorized energy suppliers pay for the right to label their renewable energy with EKOenergy, with a minimum of €0.10 per MWh contributed to a Climate Fund that finances renewable energy installations in low- and middle-income countries, and an Environmental Fund that supports river restoration projects. The label is delivered via 160+ authorized sellers across 70+ countries and is recognized by the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Guidance.

Product overview

EKOenergy ecolabel is a global nonprofit organization offering an ecolabel certification for renewable energy products. The core offering consists of the EKOenergy ecolabel which certifies renewable electricity, gas, and heat against extra sustainability criteria. The organization operates two complementary funding mechanisms: the Climate Fund, which finances renewable energy projects in developing countries, and the Environmental Fund, which supports river restoration projects. EKOenergy also provides an EKOdirect database of pre-approved installations and educational resources like the EKO-Sofia comic. The label operates through a network of 160+ authorized sellers internationally and is recognized by international standards including the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 2 Guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over €9 million granted to 130+ renewable energy projects addressing energy poverty globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Siemenpuu FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Cooperation started in 2018 for selection and long-term monitoring of renewable energy projects in Mali, Myanmar, and Nepal. Siemenpuu Foundation brings 20+ years of experience financing grassroot organizations and selecting/monitoring projects. EKOenergy provides Climate Fund financing while Siemenpuu provides development cooperation expertise.
• World Wind Energy AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with World Wind Energy Association, Ukrainian Wind Energy Association, and Global100RE to support the #renewables4ukraine campaign and fundraising website development.
• Ukrainian Wind Energy AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for #renewables4ukraine campaign supporting renewable energy development and advocacy in Ukraine.
• Global100REcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in #renewables4ukraine campaign supporting global renewable energy transition.
• Renewable WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based NGO partnering with EKOenergy to implement solar power projects for off-grid fishing communities on Lake Victoria, Kenya. Project enables water purification and ice production for cold storage.
• RePower UkrainemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian charity receiving €50,000 grant from EKOenergy to install solar systems at hospitals.
• GesternovacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpanish electricity supplier and authorized EKOenergy seller for almost 9 years. Offers EKOenergy-labelled tariffs and organizes 'Month of EKOenergy' campaigns.
• EidacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLuxembourg energy supplier offering EKOenergy-labelled electricity to customers like Coopérations.
• REC Market MeetingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEKOenergy is a proud supporting association of the REC Market Meeting conference, involved in organizing D-stream sessions on tracking systems and presenting in opening sessions.
• Suomen luonnonsuojeluliitto ry (Finnish Association for Nature Conservation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEKOenergy is a project of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. Provides organizational hosting, governance, and executive leadership (Tapani Veistola as Executive Director, Harri Hölttä as Chairman).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• South Pole Group: Large global climate solutions provider offering renewable energy procurement and carbon offset services, comparable to EKOenergy in serving corporate buyers seeking verified renewable energy, but as a for-profit enterprise with broader service portfolio.
• RECS International: Umbrella organization representing EAC standards in Europe and beyond; comparable to EKOenergy as an industry organization operating in the same renewable energy tracking ecosystem, though broader in scope and governance-focused.
• Climate Neutral Now (UNFCCC): UN-affiliated climate neutral certification available to organizations, comparable to EKOenergy in providing corporate-level sustainability certification with UN backing, though covering carbon neutral rather than renewable energy specifically.

Direct peers

• Naturemade: Swiss eco-label for renewable electricity and heat with extra sustainability criteria, comparable to EKOenergy in applying additional ecological and social standards beyond baseline renewable energy certification.
• Green-e (Center for Resource Solutions): A leading North American renewable energy certification program with consumer and commercial labels, comparable to EKOenergy in providing third-party verification of renewable energy claims.
• Choice (Swedish eco-labelled electricity): Swedish eco-label for renewable electricity, comparable to EKOenergy in providing additional sustainability verification on top of standard guarantees of origin in the Nordic market.
• ok-Power: German eco-label for electricity with strict additionality and consumer protection criteria, directly comparable to EKOenergy's premium positioning with extra sustainability thresholds beyond standard EACs.
• I-REC Standard: Operates a global EAC standard for renewable energy tracking, directly comparable to EKOenergy's certification of renewable electricity. Both serve corporate buyers seeking verified renewable energy claims and operate through market-based instruments.
• Grünstrom (Grüner Strom Label): German eco-label for renewable electricity that funds additional renewable energy projects, functionally similar to EKOenergy's Climate Fund mechanism and premium certification model.

Regional players

• Atmosfair: German nonprofit providing carbon offset and renewable energy advisory services; comparable to EKOenergy as a nonprofit climate certification entity, though primarily operating in Germany and focused on voluntary carbon offsets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EKOenergy_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJtqduD7ghXHFM0uU06J7TA
• Facebookfacebook.com/EKOenergy.ecolabel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekoenergy-ecolabel
• Instagraminstagram.com/ekoenergy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EKOenergy ecolabel