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. 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 (Renewables 2018, IEA).
However, “clean energy sources” like wind and solar 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 projects need to address the associated risks to biodiversity, throughout the entire project life-cycle -- from design and permitting to the operational and decommissioning phases.
In 2019, IUCN partnered with Électricité de France (EDF), Energias de Portugal (EDP) and Shell to promote the application of the mitigation hierarchy and best available measures to reduce biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind power (on-shore and off-shore) projects.
As a result of the collaboration, Mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development: Guidelines for project developers were developed by IUCN in collaboration with The Biodiversity Consultancy, along with input from the three companies as well as BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International, The Nature Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Society.
Key outputs and further information about IUCN's work on renewables can be found here.
