Copade Foundation, Spanish reference in fair trade and responsible forest management promotion, is joining EKOenergy in taking one more step towards sustainability. Since the beginning of 2018, the Development Cooperation NGO has been powered entirely with EKOenergy labelled 100% sustainable electricity.
We had the chance to speak with Javier Fernández, Copade’s general director, to see his total satisfaction with the change: “It is not that I recommend it, I see it as a must! It’s something that we couldn’t have missed in our attempt to reach the ‘top of responsibility’”.
Copade works for more ethical, fairer and more transparent business relationships, for which it has different certifications from 8 national and international systems, now including the EKOenergy label. It seems inevitable to ask Javier – who is also president of FSC Spain – about the role of eco-labels today.
He is convinced that they are key in promoting global standards: “If the values behind a certified and traced product are widely explained, you get the consumer to join the cause”.
He gives us a striking fact: despite the economic recession, during the last 6 years, the consumption of bio, FSC and fair trade products has not stopped growing, both in Spain and globally. It seems that once the consumer takes a step towards sustainability, for example by using EKOenergy, they do not step back. “But for this, we need an informed consumer, who can make informed decisions,” says Javier, “and we still need a lot of advancement in knowledge”.
At Copade Foundation they agree that it is essential for public administrations, private companies and NGOs to achieve a greater impact in the different initiatives for sustainability. “The climate belongs to everyone, and so does the social responsibility,” says Javier. “Only by putting together the entire chain of relevant social actors can we build a better world together”.
As for the common belief that being more ethical and sustainable as a company is expensive, Javier says: “In the case of moving to EKOenergy, in fact, the cost has not been higher, but if it had been a little more expensive we would not have minded. Within reasonable limits, not taking the step for a small cost blocks progress. “
If you are interested in switching to EKOenergy too, contact us at info@ekoenergy.org and we will inform you without obligation.
Written by Teresa López
Posted on 15 February 2018
