European Offshore Wind 2009

The European Wind Energy Association adopted the Koru Foundation as its official charity in 2008.

The Koru Foundation was set up in 2007 to use renewables to tackle energy poverty and climate change in the impoverished communities. It develops community-managed renewable energy projects that improve the lives of poverty-stricken people by providing clean, sustainable energy.

“I am very happy that the European Wind Energy Association has chosen to recommend the Koru Foundation’s carbon compensation scheme to delegates travelling to European Offshore Wind 2009 Conference and Exhibition,” says Keith Tyrell, the charity’s Director. "Compensating for your carbon emissions by making a donation to a Koru Foundation project is a great way to help poor communities to develop in a low-carbon way.”

“There is a rapidly growing number of businesses and organisations selling CO2 reductions to companies and citizens. For some time now, EWEA has been looking for a credible partner to support, but found the market highly complex and non-transparent”, says Christian Kjaer, CEO of EWEA. “Our partnership with the Koru Foundation ensures that CO2 reductions are made only from new renewable energy projects and that everything is very transparent. At the same time it allows us to demonstrate to the wind energy sector that we have a responsibility towards the world's two billion poorest people who do not have access to electricity.”

The charity is already supported by some leading companies from the European renewables industry including Airtricity, Ascot Renewco, Hochtief, International Power, Natural Power and RES. Last year it was selected as the chosen charity of the British Wind Energy Association.

In spite of being a young charity, Koru has already worked with partners in South America and Asia to install dozens of micro-wind turbines to bring electricity to families, schools and community centres. The charity will shortly complete its first micro-hydro system in the village of Chorro Blanco, in a remote and mountainous region of Peru, which will provide electricity to 35 families, a school and health centre. It will also provide power for processing equipment to allow villagers to prepare their surplus milk for sale in nearby towns.

“More than two billion people in the world today have no access to electricity”, says Keith Tyrell. “Energy poverty is closely linked to poor health and poverty. Our renewable energy systems really do change peoples’ lives. They have allowed medical centres to run refrigerators to store vaccines, they have meant schools can open longer to educate the next generation and they have provided new income earning opportunities for some of the poorest people on the planet.”

For more information on the Koru Foundation: www.korufoundation.org