Co-operative News - Environment

Renewable energy projects driven by co-operatives

Anca — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:06:00 +0000

A new study published by Energy Transition reveals how the shift towards renewable energy or “Energiewende” in Germany is driven by co-operatives.

Energy Transition, a website developed by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, emphasises the energy transition is Germany’s largest post-war infrastructure project.

With the adoption of the Renewable Energy Act, which subsidises producers who invest in wind and solar energies through feed-in tariffs, more than half investments in renewables had been made by small investors.

The Renewable Energy Act is also an initiative aimed to strengthen the economy of the country having led to the creation of many jobs. More than 380,000 Germans work in the renewable sector at the moment, more than in the conventional energy sector.

The switch to renewable energy has empowered local communities and encouraged their citizens to produce their own renewable energy.

Subsidies for renewable energy projects have been covered by higher energy prices for households. However, Energy Transition highlights the fact that renewables only seem to cost more than conventional energy, but they are getting cheaper while conventional energy is getting more expensive.

Speaking of the important role co-ops play in renewable energy sector in Germany, Sven Giegold, MEP for the Green Party said: “Co-ops can help greening all sorts of sectors. We have a huge wave of new co-ops in the energy sector-about 600 new-renewable co-ops were set up in Germany.”

Mr Giegold continued: “It is obvious that many members are concerned about the environment and co-ops are the chance to realise common projects for greening the economy and creating new jobs. I think this is something the co-op movement can be really proud of”.

Germany is committed to fulfilling its climate commitments and renewables play an important role in making this happen. Through the Renewable Energy Act Germany would also like to develop high-value engineering technologies, giving German firms a first-mover advantage.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a think tank for policy reform promoting green visions and projects. The foundation works with 160 project partners in over 60 countries and currently maintains offices in 29 countries.

Co-operatives drive renewable energy transition in Germany

Anca — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:05:36 +0000

A study published by Energy Transition reveals how the transition towards renewable energy or “Energiewende” in Germany is driven by co-operatives.

The website, developed by the Heinrich Böll Foundation says the energy transition is Germany’s largest post-war infrastructure project.

With the adoption of the Renewable Energy Act, which subsidises producers who invest in wind and solar energies through feed-in tariffs, more than half of the investments made in renewables had been made by small investors. The Act is also an initiative aimed to strengthen the economy of the country having led to the creation of many jobs. More than 380,000 Germans work in the renewable sector, more than in the conventional energy sector.

The switch to renewable energy has empowered local communities and encouraged their citizens to produce their own renewable energy.

Speaking of the important role co-ops play in renewable energy sector in Germany, Sven Giegold, MEP for the Green Party, said: “Co-ops can help greening all sorts of sectors. We have a huge wave of new co-ops in the energy sector-about 600 new-renewable co-ops were set up in Germany.”

Mr Giegold added: “It is obvious that many members are concerned about the environment and co-ops are the chance to realize common projects for greening the economy and creating new jobs. I think this is something the co-op movement can really be proud of.”

Germany is committed to fulfilling its climate commitments and renewables play an important role in making this happen. Through the Renewable Energy Act, Germany aims to develop high-value engineering technologies to give German firms a first-mover advantage.

Fairtrade co-op links up with women farmers

Emily Barker — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:00:12 +0000

An award-winning co-operative is forging closer links with women farmers as part of a new Fairtrade initiative.

The UK's Equal Exchange, which recently won the ‘Small Co-operative, Big Achiever award’ at Co-operatives United, is hoping Co-operative stores will find out more about their ground-breaking lines in coffee and rooibos tea, packaged as “grown by women”. The project, already supported by Northern supermarket chain Booths, sparked a lot of interest at the big Manchester event.

Sales Director Barry Murdoch was one of the team who went to Manchester to receive the award and spread the word about the new project which is helping women farmers in Nicaragua, Peru, and Uganda.

Mr Murdoch, who joined the Edinburgh-based co-operative seven years ago, said: “We launched the concept last September following research from our dealings with farmers which showed that, although women do a huge amount of agricultural work in the developing world, they don’t necessarily get paid for it. And if the husband gets the pay, it doesn’t necessarily get back to the household.

“Where women control household income, the family’s health, nutrition and education improves at a faster rate because less money is spent outside the household.”

He added: “A report done in Sierra Leone showed that for every ten dollars extra paid to women, men would have to receive 110 dollars for families and communities to gain the same benefits in terms of healthcare and feeding the family.

“So by working with women farmers and helping their co-operatives, the money can go much further.”

Mr Murdoch said Equal Exchange had a positive response at Co-operatives United, and a number of people said they would lobby societies to stock the products.

“We have opened discussions,” he said, “And we are hopeful we can take it further.”

Equal Exchange’s origins stretch back to 1979, when three voluntary workers returned to Scotland after working on aid projects in Africa. They had seen how small farmers were getting into debt due to the low prices they received for their products. Along with a sister organisation in London, Campaign Coffee, they started buying instant coffee from Tanzania. From small beginnings, they began to supply small independent shops and raise awareness of Fairtrade products.

The Equal Exchange range now stretches from the original coffee to rooibos tea, walnuts, honey, nuts, oils, and cocoa products.

Decades later, Fairtrade has gone mainstream, with even huge corporations like Nestlé taking some ethical retailing on board, but Equal Exchange still deals solely with 100 per cent Fairtrade concerns.

Said Mr Murdoch: “In recent years, we have seen a move away from those smaller pioneering companies to larger corporations who are developing Fairtrade products and making them more available, which is a good thing.

“But whether people are making the right choice in buying from companies who are not 100 per cent committed is something we would still question.

“We have to continually innovate to keep ahead of people like Nestlé and it is getting harder to get our products on the shelves of bigger supermarkets. The core of our business is still the initial supporters like Green City, Suma and fine food retailing outlets like delicatessens and wholefood shops.”

Equal Exchange also has an export business which does particularly well in Scandinavia and its business has continued to grow in difficult economic times. It currently supplies Palestinian olive oil to Co-operative retail outlets and hopes to extend the range of its products in stores.

“The Co-operative was the first large retail organisation to show real commitment to Fairtrade at a time when it was not proven financially,” said Mr Murdoch. “We think they were very brave in starting the ball rolling.”

In 2012, Equal Exchange grew its trade by around 15 per cent and in 2013 they are planning a series of projects to raise awareness of their brand even further

Mr Murdoch added: “Our core business on the independent high street has been hit more than by any other sector by a recession which has seen many high streets taken over by Tesco Locals and charity shops.

“But by being innovative and building our relationship with Co-operatives UK we can still thrive.

“Next year we will be taking some time to better understand how we communicate with our customers and why they buy our goods.

“We will also be looking to see how we can expand things like the project with women farmers which are key to how we differentiate ourselves from our competitors and push the boundaries of what we can do to promote our values.”

Co-operative Energy is switched on to the market

Emily Barker — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:28:53 +0000

Energy is making headlines. This month, SSE – Scottish and Southern Energy – announced its half year profits for the period ending September rose by 38 per cent against the same period last year, to £398 million. Despite this, SSE increased its domestic energy prices by an average nine per cent from October.

Meanwhile, British Gas is raising its prices by six per cent; Npower by nine per cent; Scottish Power by seven per cent; and EDF by 10.8 per cent.

In contrast, one of the newest and smaller suppliers has cut its electricity prices — bringing them down by two per cent from 21 December. This is despite the fact that this supplier — Co-operative Energy — was already more than competitive in its pricing. It claims that it will now be £88 cheaper for an average standard tariff where the customer pays by online direct debit and £178 cheaper for someone paying quarterly on credit, compared with the Big Six energy suppliers.

The price cut was immediately praised by consumer champion Which?, whose executive director, Richard Lloyd, said: “Rising energy prices are one of consumers’ top concerns, so this is welcome news from Co-operative Energy at a time when millions of household budgets are squeezed. Customers being hit hard by big suppliers’ price rises should now ask why it is that Co-operative Energy can buck the trend.”

An endorsement by Which? is welcome, but unsurprising. In May, Co-operative Energy beat all its major competitors in bidding for a mass switching exercise hosted by Which?. As a result of offering the best fixed price tariff, 22,000 consumers switched to Co-operative Energy. In fact, more wanted to move over — 280,000 consumers had registered for the exercise — but were told that only a limited number could do so.

The restricting factor, Nigel Mason of Co-operative Energy told the News, was that it had necessarily entered into supply contracts to deliver against the fixed price that it had bid at. It turned out that the number of consumers seeking to switch far exceeded the size of contract that had been pre-arranged.

“In May this year we were a smaller business, even though it is only six months ago,” explains Mr Mason. “That was a fixed price tariff. We entered an auction and promised to offer a fixed price. We had only bought a certain capacity for that auction.” But the issue was not, stresses Mr Mason, about the co-op’s operational capacity. “Most of our business is online and there is no capacity issue,” he says. “There was a sub-text, which was that this was the first time we had taken on 22,000 people on one day! We had to ensure we did that well.”

And, insists Mr Mason, the exercise in fact went without problems. “I think it went very well indeed,” he says. “We did an online survey of those 22,000 and got a 48 per cent response rate. I have never known a response rate on that level. Which? subscribers are really active consumers. Most respondents said it was too early to tell, but most who did give an answer were overwhelmingly positive.”

Since then, Co-op Energy has grown significantly larger and now has a customer base of 65,000 accounts. The business offers energy across all parts of Great Britain, though not in Northern Ireland — which has a different regulatory environment. Readers will be pleased to learn that the high rate of growth is directly related to the business’s co-operative trading model.

It now feels rather surprising that Co-operative Energy is a mere 18 months old — but with the amount of positive publicity in the national media it is unsurprising that the business is growing quickly. Progress, says Mr Mason, is “very good” and the co-op is signing up large numbers of new customers every day.

“Autumn is always busy for energy suppliers, especially for us because energy is in the news,” says Mr Mason. “It spurs people into action. The challenge for this industry is how inactive most people are. There is great inertia.

“The plan is total growth,” he adds. “I always thought that potentially we could be as big in energy as the bank is in banking. The co-op model makes perfect sense in energy — ownership by customers is the fairest way of delivering energy. It is the Rochdale Pioneers’ philosophy.”

Competitors offer so many different price tariffs and contract arrangements that this leaves consumers confused and increases trading costs for them, suggests Mr Mason. “We have an incredibly uncluttered and simple business model. Others [competitors] are sinking under the weight of their complexity. We are growing very quickly, mostly online and there is potential point [of competitive advantage] there.

“We don’t spend much on marketing. Co-op activists say why don’t we shout about ourselves from the rooftops, but I’m afraid that costs money.”

Given the context in which corporates have grown on the back of their advertising spend, not the quality of service or the cost of their products, no one could reasonably complain about Co-operative Energy going back to the Movement’s principles. Long may they continue to do so.

Co-op combats deforestation in Bolivia

Anca — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:26:36 +0000

The Cochabamba Project combats deforestation by working with poor smallholders in the Bolvian Amazon, Co-op News talked to the Director David Vincent.

In 2008 David, an Investment Financial Advisor, decided to start the Cochabamba Project, based upon the pilot project ArBolivia. Members provide finance for local smallholders to plant native species of tropical hardwoods as an alternative to unsustainable farming practices.

The Cochabamba district has been the scene of some of the most aggressive deforestation over the last few decades.

The minimum investment is £1,000 (which can be paid in instalments) and the maximum (by law) is £20,000.

David said: “I wanted to look at a different way of investment for the benefit of society. In this model you had a direct say in how money was handled and pull efforts together. I had been one of the few IFAs in the country supporting ethical investment.”

The project was developed by Anko Stilma an expert in international forestry at the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation.

David said the Cochamabba Project was based in Bolivia because of its’ strong community links and co-op structures.

“Bolivia has a very well developed co-op culture. That’s what makes it work as a project. Those structures are already in place. Whole community groups migrating from one area to another has caused deforestation. People move and communities are left without revenues;” he added.

In 2009 the Bolivian Government didn’t sign the Copenhagen Accord, which underlined climate change as one of the greatest challenges of our time. David explained it had a great impact on Cochabamba Project, because people thought deforestation was not a key issue on the Government’s agenda.

Luckily the society had already raised £650,000 to develop the project, but they had to continue fundraising.

David said despite some improvements, the project could bring more benefits if it had a more capital.

He explained that for every hectare planted-at least 0.2 of a hectare is dedicated to conservation.
“Deforestation means land heats up more quickly, so a lot of the conservation is around protecting water courses. Another one is creating link corridors between forest for animals to enable them to migrate.”

The Project helps to tackle climate change, poverty reduction and promotes biodiversity it also encourages people to co-operate, whether they are migrant or indigenous communities, for the benefit of the whole community and involves women and elder people, he added.

“We’ve just been out there for a second time and we have seen the same people as two years ago, they have prospered. They are more confident about their future. Is not just about farming and providing them with a better, but organising themselves, taking control of the situation.”

David Vincent said he welcomes the involvement of other co-ops and potential investors.

“If other co-ops have something to offer, we would like to hear from them. We are running an operation on limited resources and we are making a real impact. We can have a bigger impact with bigger help. It would be great if we could expand what we are doing to other countries.”

Don Segundino, a farmer from Cochabamba explained at the very beginning local people doubted the project. After starting to plant trees jointly with one of his neighbours, the farmer realised he needed to join an organisation to gain more power.

The Cochabamba Project is a fully trading Industrial Provident Society, working in equal partnership with poor smallholders on the fringes of the Bolivian Amazon to establish and maintain a profitable and sustainable community-based forestry enterprise as part of a wider project known as ArBolivia.

Urban tree surgeon co-op raises £100,000

Emily Barker — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:43:25 +0000

A co-operative of urban tree surgeons can realise their full potential as they have seen their community share issue pass the £100,000 milestone.

The Greater Manchester TreeStation, a sustainable environmentally friendly woodland management co-op, is only the second such enterprise in the UK. The community share issue, launched with support from The Co-operative Enterprise Hub, will be used to increase the capacity and reliability of the local biomass supply chain.

The share issue, which requires a minimum investment of £200 to co-owned this ethically-driven enterprise, is set to close on 30 November 2012. TreeStation estimate paying a return of five per cent to investors with surplus profits used to support wider social and environmental goals including reducing the community’s carbon footprint and providing training and stable employment opportunities.

Nick Torr, who has overall responsibility for treework at TreeStation, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the success of the community share issue, especially given the current economic situation. We have valuable local timber resource all around us, even in our urban environment, but it needs responsible management to help create the sustainable future our children deserve.”

“Surprising quantities of wood are still being wasted or poorly utilised and our aim is to up-cycle as far as possible. Timber from our own activities, and from other contractors, can be used to make sawn timber for joinery, firewood, and woodchip for biomass boilers. Nothing is wasted as anything left over is in demand for composting or use by allotment sites and gardeners.”

Additional investment will see it invest in an Oxtrac - a multi-task vehicle designed to operate in small, sensitive, woodlands with minimal impact.

TreeStation is amongst the first enterprises to benefit from the new scheme from the Co-operative Enterprise Hub, the Community Share Fund – a £500,000 revolving fund underwriting community share issues.

Michael Fairclough, The Co-operative’s Head of Community and Co-operative Investment, said: “Through the Co-operative Enterprise Hub we can provide the specific tools needed to enable communities to tackle local issues.”

• To find out more about the share issue, visit: www.treestation.co.uk/share-offer/

Carbon Co-op holds community energy events

Emily Barker — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:15:16 +0000

Community green energy organisation, Carbon Co-op, are holding a number of events to help people learn more about green projects in their area.

Carbon Co-op members can sign up to an exclusive ‘Ask the expert’ web conference, where they put their household energy efficiency questions to retrofit specialists, architects and engineers.

The session will take place between10.30 – 11.30 Wednesday 21 November and will be streamed live and videos archived for later viewing. To participate, sign up for Carbon Co-op membership before Wednesday here: http://www.carbon.coop/user/register

For non-members who are interested in renewable energy, then Carbon Co-op have also organised a Community renewables social called ‘Fuelling Manchester 8’ in association with the Kindling Trust. It will take place between 6pm-8.30pm, Thursday 29th November  at the Buffet Bar, Stalybridge Station, Stalybridge.

For more information go here: http://carbon.coop/news/2012-11-13/fuelling-manchester-8-community-renew...

Finally they are still looking for people to take part in the Community Green Deal pilot project. Householders will gain the chance to gain assistance implementing energy saving improvements including access to zero interest loans and ECO subsidies. Find out more here: http://carbon.coop/content/community-green-deal

Land O'Lakes committed to reducing environmental impact

Emily Barker — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:04:39 +0000

The second largest co-operative in the US, Land O Lakes, has cut their energy consumption by almost 10 per cent over the last four years.

This was revealed in their annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report that shows their commitment to being a more sustainable environmentally friendly organisation.

In 2008, Land O’Lakes set a goal to cut energy and water consumption at its facilities by 25 percent in 10 years. By the end of 2011, the company had cut more than 9 percent of energy consumption.

They have developed ways to reuse byproduct water in production, in some cases as much as a half million gallons of water a day and used more rail cars to transport products, saving 319 tons of greenhouse gas emissions by taking 157 trucks off the road.

"As a farmer-owned co-operative, Land O'Lakes is committed to operating openly, honestly and responsibly," said Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O'Lakes. "We make quality and safety our priorities, we follow a clear code of ethical conduct, we operate with strong financial integrity, we are transparent in our dealings, and we build enduring relationships with customers, members, employees and communities."

This is the third CSR report Land O Lakes has been released.

"In the last 50 years, U.S. farm productivity has increased by about 250 percent. In 1930, the average U.S. farmer fed 10 people. Today, the average American farmer feeds more than 150," continued Policinski. "Since 1960, corn and wheat yields have tripled while soybean yields are up 70 percent. In that same timeframe, milk production per cow has tripled, pork production per sow has more than doubled, and beef production per head of cattle is up 50 percent. We're feeding more people with less impact on the environment and using fewer resources.”

Along with environmental impact, they also help in the local community, donating $2.8 million in cash and more than $1 million in product to communities in which Land O'Lakes members and employees live and work over the last year.

Land O Lakes have also taken an active approach to reducing sodium and fat – they have managed this from 25 to 50 per cent in many of their products.

“What better way to meet the calcium and protein needs of growing children than to provide a Land O’Lakes cheese product that offers flexibility in menu planning for breakfast, lunch and after school snacks?

“Cheese is naturally nutrient-rich in calcium, potassium, and other vitamins and minerals, and provides high-quality protein for healthy bones and teeth,” said Christa Spaeth, R.D., Food & Nutrition manager for Land O’Lakes.

They also participate in the Feeding Our Communities initiative, they have has committed themselves to donating 12 truckloads of fresh product annually to food banks across the country through the First Run program. The program annually donates approximately 600,000 pounds of fresh product made specifically for donation.

In 2011, Land O'Lakes managed 33 agricultural development projects in 28 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia. This work helped address the food insecurity of and increased the self reliance of 428,000 people.

Policinski added: "Today CSR is becoming far more fundamental. It's authentically sustainable corporate social responsibility: helping people move up the value chain, providing real opportunities for public-private partnerships and feeding more people while using fewer natural resources and reducing the impact on the environment."

Oldham council brings ‘power to the people’

Emily Barker — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 10:25:40 +0000

OLDHAM Council has launched a new Energy Co-operative scheme; encouraging residents to collectively bulk buy their energy to save on bills.

The scheme could affect around 1.2 million householders over ten Local Authorities, who could save £150 per household per year, if plans with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) are approved.

The co-operative council is promoting the idea to Local Authorities regionally – and nationally – to assist them in helping residents to sign up.

Talks were held with the GMCA who agreed in principle to back the venture. A report will go to the next GMCA meeting on October 26 and – if approved – could see nine other Local Authority members signing up.

Residents get involved by signing up to combine their purchasing power to bulk-buy. The group then goes to auction and gets a cheaper deal together on gas and electricity from energy companies.

Councillor Arooj Shah, Assistant Cabinet Member, said: “The more authorities participate in this, the greater the potential benefit for residents.

“Families in our region and others fear the next gas and electricity bills arriving in the post. With winter weather and further projected increases in energy bills on the way this collective switching scheme is a fantastic opportunity for us all to help residents to join forces and get themselves a fairer deal.”

Oldham’s Energy Co-operative scheme has been developed with iChoosr which has extensive experience of the energy-switching industry and working with local councils in other European countries. iChooser are working at no cost to the council.

Jim McMahon, Oldham Council Leader, has contacted other Local Authorities up and down the country. He said: “There are other energy co-operative schemes currently being promoted but – unlike those – this one sees the ‘finder’s fee’ returned to participating authorities which can then be used to create a community dividend.

“Our proposal to the GMCA would see that commission reinvested in tackling fuel poverty. If five per cent of households signed up to take part that would, for example, see around £600,000 annually ploughed back into that important work.

"This is an exciting example of what being a Co-operative Council means in action.”

Oldham residents are already signing up to the Energy Co-operative and can view more information about this on the Oldham Council website at www.oldham.gov.uk/fuel_coop

Co-ops awarded £250,000 to test Government Green Deal

Emily Barker — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:47:03 +0000

Two green co-ops in Manchester, are taking a community approach to a new Government incentive to help residents reduce their carbon emissions.

Community based green organisation, Carbon Co-op, and urban design co-op, URBED, launched their Community Green Deal project on 27 September at Manchester Town Hall.

The project will act as a test for the nationwide Green Deal programme created by the Government that will be fully launched next year. It is unique, in that is being run by two co-operatives.

Working in association with the Greater Manchester Authority, Carbon Co-op have received £250,000 of funding from DECC for their pilot programme.

The aim of the Green Deal is to give people the opportunity to make home improvements to reduce carbon emissions without spending money. The capital for the improvements will be provided by: banks, energy suppliers and retailers, who will then get the money back through the resident’s energy bills.

Therefore, a Golden Rule applies, where estimated savings on bills must always equal or exceed the cost of the work.

The improvements would be done in the form of retrofitting, which is a term for improving the carbon footprint of old houses through better insulation, double glazing and other energy saving methods.

This Community Green Deal project is a pilot and therefore does not fall under the forthcoming 'Green Deal' programme with its associated protections and warranties, all measures are Green Deal-like, simulating how the eventual scheme will operate.

Carbon Co-op will perform assessments on 20 houses across Greater Manchester; from there they will choose eight to retrofit, based on different criteria such as age, space and resident's expectations. URBED will be designing and installing the retrofit.

Carbon Co-op member Jonathan Atkinson explained: “We are testing the idea that there are lots of people in Greater Manchester who want a share in this process and that a mutually owned approach will be an effective mechanism to deal with fuel poverty and climate change.

“This pilot project is new territory but we're confident of our service and look forward to proving our case.”

Due to their co-operative and community nature, they are taking the assessments further than the government standard, focusing on people’s needs such as comfort, air quality and green interests.

Carbon Co-op and URBED have worked together on similar retrofitting projects in the past and discovered the varying reasons people want to change their houses.

Marianne Heaslip, another member of URBED explained: “The Green Deal is all premised on the fact you would do something because it makes rational economic sense, but people aren’t like that. Reducing Carbon emissions was their main concern, there’s always the fact that comfort is an issue – it’s something that isn’t really featured.”

Marriane also pointed out some flaws in the Green Deal, the biggest being people under heating their houses either due to fuel poverty or in attempt to save energy.

As the Golden Rule prevents the cost of the work exceeding the bills, people who are under heating their homes are unlikely to gain as much from the project. The pilot scheme aimed to explore these issues.

Charlie Baker, another member of URBED, previously retrofitted his own home to see if it was possible to reach the Government target of 80 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. Spending just under £50,000, he managed to reduce his footprint by 84 percent.

He explained that by working with a community-based organisation like Carbon Co-op they are able to make bigger differences across neighbourhoods and reach more people in the local community.

Under the Community Green Deal householders will be able to take part and get the option to access zero percent interest loans to do the retrofit.

The project in one of five in Greater Manchester, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has invested £3 million into the area, and it will involve 700 homes in total.

People interested in taking part should email Carbon Co-op at: info@carbon.coop

Co-operative News will be following Carbon Co-op and URBED’s progress.