By Angelika Pullen, Communication Director, WindMade

On 15 June, WindMade will bring wind power directly to around 2,000 progressive companies, as we will celebrate Global Wind Day in Rio de Janeiro, at the UN Global Compact’s Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum (15-18 June). WindMade is the official Sustainability Partner of this event.

We are of course delighted to be partnering with the UN on this event. I think that it will give us a unique opportunity to directly address an audience that, as the wind sector, I think we do not speak to enough: the business community. We tend to forget that there are many progressive companies out there looking to improve their environmental footprint, and as a result potentially interested in investing in wind power.

By Charles Werner, Global Kiter Foundation

To mark Global Wind Day 2012 the Global Kiter Foundation, in partnership with Enel Green Power Hellas, is putting together a special weekend of activities dedicated to education and empowerment – including kite flying lessons! The event is focused on discovering wind, its power and the possibilities it holds to change our world.

The weekend is taking place in Karystos and Nea Stira, South Evia on the 9th and 10th of June- slightly earlier than GWD due to the national Greek elections taking place the weekend of the 15th.

European politicians need to endorse a new binding 2030 target for renewable energy sources if they want to take advantage of the EU’s position as global technological leader in onshore and offshore wind power. That was the message Wednesday from Stephane Bourgeois, Head of Regulatory Affairs at  the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) in Brussels, following the European Commission’s Communication on “Renewable energy: a major player in the European energy market.”

The Chinese economy is growing at a phenomenal rate. In Beijing, from the shiny, high-rise office buildings to slick underground trains, China’s economic expansion is clear. And the Chinese wind power sector has surged too, with over 62 GW now installed, making it the world’s number one.

But growth rates stabilised a while ago, and cracks began to appear. In 2010-11 the shine on Chinese wind power started to tarnish as it emerged that accidents were happening, grid connection rates were poor and quantity had clearly been given the upper hand over quality.

EWEA public debate

The European Wind Energy Association believes it, and now the European Commission has confirmed it believes it too: wind energy creates economic growth and jobs.

In fact, in a Communication on renewable energy published today, the Commission says that a strong growth in renewables “could generate over 3 million jobs” and “would result in a net GDP growth by 0.36-0.4% by 2030”.