DEVELOPING RENEWABLE ENERGY IN ARCTIC AND SUB-ARCTIC REGIONS AND COMMUNITIES

RECOMMENDATION #12:
PROMOTE CERTIFICATION STANDARDS FOR RENEWABLE
ENERGY TECHNOLOGY USED IN THE ARCTIC
RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND
Certification can be a useful tool to demonstrate that a product has been endorsed
by credible standards, which adds legitimacy and confidence for consumers.
New voluntary certification and labeling schemes can be explored for emerging
renewable energy projects. Certification and labeling schemes have been
adopted by other energy sectors in the past. For instance, in December 2010,
the European Union Energy Directive introduced the EU biofuels and bioliquids
sustainability criteria for biofuels used in transportation and bioliquids used in
electricity and heating. 66 As a result, companies that want to use biofuels and
be eligible for government support or have the use count towards mandatory
national renewable energy targets, must demonstrate their compliance through
national systems or voluntary labeling schemes that have been approved by the
European Commission. 67
Although renewable energy brings multiple benefits for individuals and
communities, the development of certification schemes for renewable energy
sources can bring added value by providing a level of review and quality
assurance on multiple indicators. In the Arctic, renewable energy development
might impact Indigenous lands and the fragile Arctic ecosystem. 68 Land use
issues might cause conflicts over land rights in the Arctic, as they have in several
places in the world. 69 Furthermore, it is important to ensure that no components
in the renewable energy production, such as toxic waste from solar cells, cause
adverse effects on communities. Therefore, a social license to operate is still
extremely important for the emerging renewable energy sector. Certification and
labeling schemes provide an avenue to attain that social license and common
understanding of quality assurance between stakeholders.
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