Enhanced guidance with IUCN on mitigating biodiversity impacts in solar and wind energy development

IUCN Vision Statement: 

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is a global authority comprising 1,400 member organisations and 17,000 experts across 160 countries. They lead efforts to safeguard biodiversity and nature, advancing sustainable development worldwide. 

IUCN recognises the critical need to support the global transition to renewable energy in a way that mitigates biodiversity impacts and contributes to conservation. This sustainable transition is essential to achieving both global climate and nature goals. Success depends on the active support of decision-makers at every stage of planning and implementation. 

Project Purpose – Advancing guidance on biodiversity management plans to enhance knowledge and strengthen the business case 

This project is the continuation of Phase 1 where The Biodiversity Consultancy supported in the development on “Mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development”. 

Following the success of the first phase of work, this second phase looked to produce additional publications on important and emerging topics in the management of wind and solar projects for biodiversity and ecosystem services. These guidelines aimed to develop the evidence base and knowledge around several challenging and important topics that emerged from Phase 1. 

The Challenge – reframing biodiversity management of wind and solar in light of global biodiversity goals 

With the project taking place between 2022-2024, it was well placed to consider how wind and solar development could contribute towards the recently adopted goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. A key aim of the project was to reframe topics, such as Cumulative Impact Assessment to help support biodiversity conservation and the achievement of global biodiversity goals (alongside climate and other societal development goals).

The project also needed to recognize emerging approaches like ‘Nature Positive’ and consider how wind and solar energy development could contribute. In doing this, we needed to address existing challenges, such as the rapid expansion of renewable energy and limited data on cumulative impacts and impact pathways. The topic of biodiversity enhancement gained huge traction during the course of the project, enabling us to incorporate a large body of new literature and case studies. To fully understand the challenges and solutions surrounding these topics, diverse input was sought from experts across partner organisations and beyond, as well as from the growing base of literature and tools available. 

Our Approach – Translating mitigation guidelines into an action plan for the energy sector and global conservation 

Following the guidelines on ‘mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development’, the second phase of publications spanned four key topics: 

• Guidance on biodiversity cumulative impact assessment for wind and solar developments and associated infrastructure 

• Spatial planning for wind and solar developments and associated infrastructure 

• Opportunities for enhancing biodiversity at wind and solar energy developments 

• Biodiversity and responsible sourcing for wind and solar developments: An overview and action agenda  

These guidelines reframe key topics, such as cumulative impact assessment and spatial planning in light of the role that business and governments have to play in the delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The topic of biodiversity enhancement rapidly emerged in recent years as an opportunity for wind and solar projects to go beyond impact mitigation and contribute to the recovery of biodiversity. Addressing the subject of responsible sourcing and biodiversity was a key theme given the site-level focus of previous guidance and the potentially significant impacts associated with sourcing materials for renewable energy projects.  

These guidelines benefited from the collaboration of partners from the energy sector and global conservation NGOs to combine expertise and available case studies. 

Outcomes – Bridging the understanding of biodiversity management between the wind and solar energy sectors and businesses 

This effective collaboration between business and civil society has resulted in four new publications that have progressed the understanding of important topics across the wind and solar energy sectors.  

The guidelines have developed in scale from their initial focus on site-level impact mitigation and remediation to consideration of the cumulative impacts across the sector and throughout supply chains. Biodiversity enhancement recognises the opportunities associated with the space available at wind and solar projects to deliver additional conservation actions, either as part of non-price criteria for winning project bids, or to bolster ecosystem services and meet corporate ambitions around nature positive contributions.  

These guidelines further demonstrate the possibilities of delivering the renewable energy transition whilst also contributing to nature recovery at scale. 

The Biodiversity Consultancy also had the privilege of exploring the latest publications on wind, solar energy, and biodiversity through a series of three webinars with IUCN and organisational partners. These webinars attracted an audience of over 1000 professionals working at the interface of biodiversity and wind and solar energy. They are publicly available to watch on demand at the following link: 

• Session 1: Cumulative Impact Assessment and Spatial Planning 

• Session 2: Biodiversity Enhancement 

• Session 3: Responsible Sourcing and Biodiversity