Impact mitigation

The key aim of this report is to outline how developers can start to act on supply chain biodiversity impacts by improving traceability and sourcing practices through. It is primarily aimed at developers of wind and solar projects and transmission infrastructure, who primarily source composite goods (e.g. wind turbines and solar panels).

Global climate mitigation policies are promoting a radical shift in emission reduction activities to achieve net-zero targets by 2050. Although recent scientific studies have  explored the impacts of some climate mitigation initiatives on biodiversity in various contexts, a global perspective of these developments is required.

This report analyses the current state of knowledge regarding the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in climate change mitigation. It shows that in order to keep temperature rising to 1.5 degrees and achieve net zero by 2050 a significant contribution from NbS is both necessary and possible, provided the necessary finance is made available. It assesses the role that carbon offsets can play in the overall finance package.

The Synthesis report provides a high-level overview of the main themes addressed in the Guidelines on mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development, published in 2021. The Guidelines aim to provide practical support for solar and wind energy devel-opments to effectively manage risks and improve biodiversity and ecosystem service outcomes.

Achieving a climate-resilient future requires rapid, sustained and far-reaching transformations in energy, land-use, infrastructure and industrial systems. Large-scale expansion of renewable energy can play a critical role in meeting the world’s growing energy demands and in the fight against climate change. However, even ‘clean’ energy sources can have significant unintended impacts on the environment.