AsianScientist (Feb. 4, 2013) – Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (Yingli), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of solar panels, has become the first Chinese company, and the first photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer, to join WWF’s Climate Savers program.
According to the WWF statement, Yingli is also the first Chinese company to set a company-wide renewable electricity consumption target. By the end of 2015, at least four percent of the electricity that Yingli consumes will come from renewable sources, specifically solar, it says.
“WWF’s Climate Savers program is a very exclusive club,” said Peter Beaudoin, CEO, WWF-China. “Only industry leaders that agree to challenge themselves and set ambitious goals in cutting carbon dioxide emissions, and support growth of clean, renewable energy are accepted as members.”
Renewable energy currently comprises one percent of China’s energy consumption portfolio; renewable energy sources include solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, waves and tides, but not nuclear or large-scale hydropower.
Currently, Yingli operates more than 20 Megawatts (MW) of solar systems in its manufacturing campuses to power the production of PV modules. The company plans to continue to increase its consumption of renewable electricity by installing more solar systems in the future, says the WWF.
“We’re very pleased to become the first Chinese company and the first solar manufacturer to join the Climate Savers family,” said Liansheng Miao, Chairman and CEO of Yingli.
In addition to its renewable electricity consumption target, Yingli has also agreed to a number of aggressive carbon dioxide emission reduction targets, says the WWF.
By the end of 2015, Yingli commits to reduce GHG emissions intensity per MW of PV module production by 13 percent compared with 2010 levels. Further, also by the end of 2015, Yingli expects to reduce GHG emissions from purchased goods and services per MW of PV module production by seven percent compared with 2010 levels. Yingli also targets to reduce GHG emissions intensity from upstream transportation by ten percent, compared to 2010 levels, by the end of 2015.
Yingli also plans to launch a Global Green Solar PV Manufacturing Standard with the support of WWF by the end of 2015. This standard aims at promoting energy consumption reduction in the PV industry, increasing utilization percentage of renewable energy, and reducing GHG emissions.
The WWF Climate Savers program now counts 30 member companies since it began in 1999. To become a member, a company works with WWF and an independent technical expert to set and agree to new carbon dioxide emission reduction targets that are more aggressive than existing targets.
The company then formulates a plan to achieve these targets, and WWF and the independent technical expert will monitor to ensure the plan is followed and the targets are achieved.
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Source: WWF.
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