WindMade labels can now be displayed on products

Today, the WindMade organization launches the first global consumer label for products made with wind energy. This label, which has been eagerly awaited by market participants and consumers alike, completes the WindMade label portfolio.

On the occasion of the label launch, WindMade is calling on consumers to show their support for wind power by participating in the ‘Show You Care’ campaign. The aim of this campaign is to demonstrate to leading brands that consumers around the world favour products that are manufactured with renewable energy.

A recent global consumer study[1] showed that 73% of consumers around the world would have a more positive perception of a brand if it used wind power as their primary energy source.

“The WindMade product label provides consumers with the transparency they demand, and with a credible and intuitive tool to make informed purchasing decisions,” said Henrik Kuffner, WindMade’s CEO. “And in addition, it gives companies an instrument to tap into this large pool of environmentally conscious consumers.”

“Now it is time for consumers to speak out. We know that they care, and we know that they want to see more companies using wind power. With our campaign, we invite them to actively show their support, and to put pressure on their favourite brands to use this clean, emissions-free energy source for manufacturing our most beloved products,” added Angelika Pullen, WindMade’s Communications Director, who is managing the campaign.

The WindMade Product Label can be applied to all products using a minimum share of 75% of renewable energy in their total electricity consumption, with wind power representing the largest share. A cradle-to-gate approach was adopted, which means that the label will cover the entire power consumption for all product components, from the extraction of the raw materials all the way to the product leaving the factory gate.

“WWF fully supports this label as a way to recognize companies for their efforts while empowering consumer choice. The cradle-to-gate approach ensures that the label is meaningful, and it makes it robust and credible to consumers,” said Susanne Fratzscher, Senior Advisor on Renewable Energy of WWF's Global Climate and Energy Initiative, and a member of WindMade’s Technical Committee.

To participate in the campaign, consumers are invited to send in photos of their favourite products to carry the WindMade label, and spreading the word on social networks using the #ShowYouCare hashtag on Twitter and Facebook and sharing the campaign video.

For more information, please visit the campaign website at windmade.org/ShowYouCare.

[1] Global Consumer Wind Study 2012 (Vestas/TNS Gallup), polling 24,000 consumers in 20 countries. See www.energytransparency.com/resources/vestas-report-global-consumer-wind-study-2012.pdf.

About WindMade – see www.windmade.org for more information

WindMade™ is the world's first global consumer label for companies, events and products using wind power. The label is managed by the WindMade non-profit organisation, dedicated to accelerating the adoption of renewable energy by improving companies' ability to communicate their wind energy investments to their stakeholders.

WindMade™ will strive to achieve this by increasing transparency of corporate investments in wind energy, by educating citizens on the implications of using different energy sources, and by empowering consumers to favour corporations who make a real contribution to delivering new wind energy.

About the ‘Show You Care’ campaign – see www.windmade.org/showyoucare

The ‘Show You Care’ campaign will run until September 2013, with the aim to generate support for the WindMade label and demonstrate to potential label users that consumers demand products made with wind energy. The campaign consists of the following elements:

• Show You Care video, see www.youtube.com/windmade
• Photo action: Take a photo of yourself and your favourite product to be WindMade labelled and send it to showyoucare@windmade.org
• Social media campaign: Post photos, the video and tweets/Facebook updates, such as 'I want my [xxx product] #WindMade. #showyoucare @WindMade_NGO @[xxx brand]'.

About the WindMade Product Label – see www.windmade.org/windmade-standards/product-standard

The WindMade Product Label completes the WindMade label portfolio, which also comprises the Company Label and the Event Label.

The technical requirements behind the Product Label are laid out in the WindMade Standard for Products and Services, which was developed by a Technical Committee consisting of experts from WWF International, Becton, Dickinson & Co., the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Climate Friendly, the Gold Standard Foundation, and Vestas Wind Systems. The draft was reviewed by a Corporate Sounding Board and underwent a public consultation process.

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WindMade asbl

WindMade is the first global consumer label for companies, events and products using wind energy, administered by a non-for-profit organisation in Brussels.

WindMade was established as a co-operation between the UN Global Compact, WWF, Vestas Wind Systems, GWEC, Bloomberg, the LEGO Group and PwC.

The WindMade label gives companies the ability to communicate their commitment to renewable energy in an intuitive and credible way. Labels are a powerful tool for differentiating a company, enhancing brand perception and guiding consumer behaviour.

WindMade's mission is to boost corporate investment and raise consumer awareness to the benefits of wind power.

For more information, see www.windmade.org.

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