- Sunrock was awarded the Gold European Solar Sustainability Award for their efforts to protect workers’ rights and guarantee fair working conditions at solar PV sites.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (Wednesday 3 December): Sunrock; UNEF, the Spanish Solar PV Association; and Bundesverband Neue Energiewirtschaft e.V. (bne), the Association of Energy Market Innovators, were voted as the Gold, Silver, and Bronze 2025 European Solar Sustainability Award Winners at our Sustainable Solar Europe 2025 event.
Sunrock, the Gold European Solar Sustainability Award Winner, conduct auditing work on solar PV sites. They are focused on protecting migrant workers’ rights and ensuring fair labour conditions. Their programme was presented by Manuella Bridgette Appiah, Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Manager, at Sunrock.
Bram Poeth, CEO of Sunrock (he/him), said: “Building a clean energy future requires collaboration and responsibility, not only for the planet, but also for people. A just energy transition must include respect for the rights of all workers across the value chain. At Sunrock, we hope that winning the Gold European Solar Sustainability Award inspires our peers to take meaningful action to uphold fair and safe working conditions at solar sites, as we collectively move towards a more equitable and sustainable energy system.”
Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe (she/her), said: “We are delighted to congratulate Sunrock on winning the Gold European Solar Sustainability Award. Companies like Sunrock set a benchmark for excellence, helping Europe shine as a leader in solar sustainability and innovation.”
The jury panel nominated three finalists for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze, European Solar Sustainability Award 2025. The panel featured: Guido Agostinelli, Principal Risk Officer, Sustainable Supply Chains, at IFC (International Finance Corporation); Dr. Jan-Philipp Mai, Co-Founder and CEO of SOLAR MATERIALS; Leda Langberg, Senior Advisor for Sustainable Procurement at Statkraft; and Michael Schmela, Executive Advisor and Director of Market Intelligence, at SolarPower Europe.
During the Sustainable Solar Europe 2025 event, award finalists presented their work on sustainability to this jury panel and attendees. Afterwards, attendees voted for their Gold, Silver, and Bronze Solar Sustainability Award Winners.
Ainhoa Jiménez Peña, Projects, Hydrogen & New Ventures Director, spoke on behalf of UNEF. Bernhard Strohmayer, Head of Renewables, and Jonas Uschner, Project Manager, presented bne’s sustainability work.
UNEF was the second finalist recognised by the Award panel. The association was praised for its Seal of Excellence in Storage, which was created to ensure best practices in storage facilities, while promoting a positive long-term environmental impact, and respecting biodiversity and local communities.
bne, the Bronze Winner, was applauded for its comprehensive study on biodiversity, which found that solar farms improve biodiversity overall. For example, their research found that solar farms in Germany were providing a habitat for 52% of all bats in the country.
Notes:
- Sustainable Solar Europe 2025 brought together Europe’s leading solar experts for in-depth discussions on the future of sustainability in the solar PV sector. Find out more about the event here.
- SolarPower Europe’s European Solar Sustainability Award 2025 celebrates the organisations leading the way in maximising the positive impact of solar on communities, the climate, and the environment. The award aims to highlight and share sustainability best practices within the sector – and ultimately take solar forward as the sustainable energy leader. Read more about the Award here.
- UNEF’s Seal of Excellence in Storage complements their Seal of Excellence in Sustainability, which earned them the Silver European Solar Sustainability Award at Sustainable Europe 2024. 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. Read more about it here.
Questions? Get in touch.
Thérèse O Donoghue
Press and Communications Advisor
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European Solar Sustainability Award 2025 finalists and SolarPower Europe Leadership Team: Michael Schmela, Director of Market Intelligence, at SolarPower Europe; Jonas Uschner, Project Manager at bne; Ainhoa Jiménez Peña, Projects, Hydrogen & New Ventures Director, at UNEF; Manuella Bridgette Appiah, Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Manager, at Sunrock; Bernhard Strohmayer, Head of Renewables, and Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe (L-R).
© SolarPower Europe 2025
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