The transition to renewable energy is underway. Renewable power capacity is set to expand by 50% between 2019 and 2024, led by solar PV. This increase of 1,200 GW is equivalent to the total installed power capacity of the United States today, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Solar PV, alone, accounts for almost 60% of the expected growth, with onshore wind representing one-quarter of this growth. During this period, renewables are forecast to meet more than 70% of global electricity generation growth, led by solar PV and followed by wind, hydropower and bioenergy (IEA,2018).
However, “clean energy sources” like solar and wind can also impact biodiversity through disturbance and loss of habitat, the generation of noise pollution, collision and other indirect pressures. Therefore, despite the intrinsic and much-needed positive contribution of these renewable technologies to a clean energy future, renewable energy developments need to address the associated risks to biodiversity, throughout the entire project life-cycle -- from design and permitting to the operational and decommissioning phases.
As a result of a collaborative process that began in 2019 between IUCN and EDF, EDP and Shell, IUCN, along with The Biodiversity Consultancy, have produced a report, Mitigating the biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development: Guidelines for project developers. The report draws on expertise from the three energy companies as well as BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International, The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Society.
The aim of the Guidelines is to help all actors understand and manage the biodiversity risks associated with solar and wind projects (onshore and offshore), by highlighting practical and science-based best practices. They also provide more than 30 globally representative examples and case studies.
The Guidelines are available for download here.
Find out more about this project here.
