UNEF: Silver European Solar Sustainability Award Winner 2024

We are thrilled to see the UNEF Seal of Excellence in Sustainability, our flagship certification project, recognised at such a prestigious level. For us, the installation of ground-mounted solar plants is not just about producing clean energy—it represents a long-term commitment, often spanning 30 years, between developers, public institutions, and local citizens. 

We view this as akin to a marriage: for a relationship of this duration to succeed, it is essential to lay strong foundations built on collaboration, mutual respect, and shared goals, rather than impositions. This award reinforces our belief that projects developed through dialogue and cooperation can achieve excellence and deliver lasting positive impacts for all stakeholders involved. 

Moreover, sustainability for us extends beyond the environment. It encompasses social and economic dimensions, ensuring that solar projects promote inclusive practices, foster diversity, and create lasting economic benefits for local communities. By addressing these three pillars of sustainability — environmental, social, and economic — we ensure that solar plants contribute positively to the well-being of the territories they inhabit, both now and in the future. 

The UNEF Seal of Excellence in Sustainability is a pioneering certification system designed to ensure that solar ground-mounted projects adhere to the highest standards of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The certification evaluates projects across four key pillars: 

• Environmental Protection and Biodiversity: Projects must demonstrate robust measures to safeguard biodiversity, minimise land-use impacts, and enhance ecosystems. This should go further than what the institutions ask as mandatory on the Environmental Impact Assessments, by including features like wildlife corridors, reforestation, and habitat restoration. 

• Socioeconomic Integration: We require projects to create long-term positive impacts in local territories by prioritising local job creation, early and meaningful engagement with communities, and initiatives that strengthen social cohesion. This includes fostering diversity integration by ensuring opportunities for underrepresented groups and promoting inclusive practices. Additionally, projects must implement long-term economic measures designed to deliver sustained benefits to the local environment and communities. These measures aim to ensure that the positive effects of the project extend well beyond its operational phase, leaving a lasting legacy of growth and resilience in the region. 

• Governance and Public Institution Collaboration: The Seal emphasises early and transparent collaboration with local public institutions to foster trust, streamline project implementation, and align with community needs. To avoid greenwashing practices, we go a step further by requiring an annual follow-up on the Environmental Monitoring Plans of certified projects. This approach surpasses current practices in Spanish public administration, where Environmental Monitoring Plans are submitted to delegations of the Ministry of Industry, rather than environmental authorities. By implementing this rigorous oversight, we ensure that the solar plants certified under our Seal receive appropriate and consistent environmental monitoring, reinforcing their long-term commitment to sustainability and compliance. 

• Circular Economy Practices: Certified projects must go beyond compliance by incorporating waste reduction, material recycling, and innovative approaches to resource management. These practices not only minimise environmental impact during construction and operation but also ensure that the site is left in better condition than before the installation of the solar plant. Projects are required to implement strategies such as reforestation, soil restoration, and the use of native vegetation to enhance biodiversity and land resilience. By prioritising circular economy principles, we ensure that these projects create regenerative impacts, transforming the land into a space that benefits both the environment and local communities over the long term. 

Through these standards, the Seal sets a benchmark for how solar energy can harmonise technological progress with environmental stewardship and community well-being. 

Sustainability practices are the foundation for a truly transformative energy transition. Celebrating these efforts highlights the potential for renewable energy to go beyond reducing carbon emissions. Practices certified under our UNEF Seal of Excellence ensures that solar projects restore biodiversity, empower local economies, and foster social inclusion. By addressing the three pillars of sustainability — environmental, social, and economic — these projects deliver lasting benefits that reverberate across multiple dimensions of our society. 

Awards like the European Solar Sustainability Award shine a spotlight on initiatives that set new standards for excellence in the solar sector. For the UNEF Seal of Excellence, this recognition amplifies our mission to redefine how solar projects interact with their surrounding environment and communities. We believe this is a great opportunity to elevate the standards of the EU solar sector. 

These awards encourage innovation, collaboration, and healthy competition within the industry, driving developers to prioritize sustainability. They also provide a platform for sharing best practices, inspiring others to adopt similar approaches. By highlighting the Seal, this recognition reinforces the idea that solar energy can—and should—be a catalyst for environmental restoration, social progress, and long-term economic resilience.