Efforts to restore nature are urgently needed today as biodiversity loss is happening at an alarming rate with over 81% of EU habitats in poor conditions. This trend is only set to grow with climate change, which is set to become the main cause of habitat and species loss by 2050.
There is no saving biodiversity without tackling climate change. It is therefore essential to address these interconnected crises with a coordinated approach between nature restoration plans and national energy and climate targets.
Yet, the current Nature Restoration Law presents contradictory provisions that could further delay lengthy permitting for renewable projects and restrict electricity generation or storage from wind, solar PV, and hydropower. This would in turn compromise Europe’s efforts to phase out fossil fuels and reach net zero by mid-century.
Our Secretary General Kristian Ruby says:
“We have concerns with specific elements of this proposal because what we said all along is that we want to establish synergies. Some of the elements of this proposal are not creating synergies but trade-offs and risk impacting climate actions in favor of nature.”
The proposal would require Member States to achieve a “good condition” status in at least 90% of all land and aquatic habitats by 2050. These include both protected areas under Natura 2000 – where economic activities are restricted – as well as habitats outside of it. To create synergies, however, a more balanced approach should be pursued with adapted targets for areas used for power generation, storage, and connections to the grid. This would enable Europe to push its energy transition forward while adopting all feasible measures to keep the impact on nature as low as possible.
The good news is that these synergic approaches have already become a reality. As shown in our Power Plant study, renewable projects are being integrated into areas suitable for nature preservation and ecological restoration following innovative climate-friendly resource-management practices.
There are today several integrated renewable projects pioneered by some of the biggest utilities in Europe. This is part of the power sector’s commitment to proving that renewables and biodiversity can not only coexist but flourish together. A conducive proposal for nature restoration is a critical step to making these innovative synergic approaches the new normal.