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As more people realize the urgency of the global climate emergency, many companies are turning to climate-smart business practices, not only to do their share for the planet, but also to attract sustainability-minded customers. The internationally recognized is one way businesses can show the world that they use sustainable energy. Energy sold with the green EKOenergy logo fulfills sustainability criteria and finances clean energy projects around the world.

EKOenergy, established in Finland in 2013, is a member of international networks, such as the IRENA Coalition for Action, Connect4Climate and the Global Call for Climate Action.

Energy sources certified by the EKOenergy label must meet strict criteria. For instance, solar, wind or geothermal plants are not accepted if they are built in protected nature areas or important bird habitats. Hydropower must not prevent continuous water flow and must not interfere in fish migration or aquatic habitat loss.

The 55 electricity suppliers certified under the EKOenergy label cover customers all over Europe. Businesses¡ªand increasingly, individual consumers¡ªwithout an EKOenergy certified energy source nearby may be able to choose an international seller or trader of tracking certificates, available in Brazil, China, Turkey and other countries listed on the .

For each megawatt hour of energy sold with the EKOenergy label, the seller contributes 0.10 € to the EKOenergy Climate Fund. The fund raised more than €250,000 in 2017 alone, allowing it to finance projects in developing countries, evaluating them based on SDG impact and feasibility of long-term maintenance, among other criteria. It has given loans to coffee producers in Nicaragua to invest in solar panels, funded the installation of a solar internet caf¨¦ in Tajikistan and the installation of solar panels on medical facilities in Guinea.

What are the inspiring breakthroughs and success stories that illustrate SDG implementation? What are the good practices that can be replicated and scaled up? What are the gaps and constraints and how should we address them? Looking ahead, what steps should we take to accelerate progress? To help answer these and other questions, UN DESA gathered more than 600 good SDG practices in a searchable online database. Be inspired by SDG solutions that work:?