By Abbas Nazil
Global experts and industry leaders have called for renewable energy projects that generate co-benefits for both people and the environment, stressing that the clean energy transition must go hand in hand with biodiversity protection and community development.
The call was made during the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 session titled “Promoting Co-Benefit Actions for Positive Environmental and Social Impacts from Renewables.”
Speakers from governments, financial institutions, NGOs, and the private sector shared practical examples of how solar and wind projects can integrate conservation and social progress.
In France, solar projects are combining wetland restoration, eco-grazing, and citizen investment.
In the North Sea, marine wind farms are linked to long-term marine conservation funds.
In Uzbekistan, solar developers are protecting tortoise habitats and collaborating with local herders to manage grazing.
Meanwhile, in China’s Qinghai Province, large-scale photovoltaic parks are reversing desertification and supporting ecological animal husbandry.
Energy firms such as TotalEnergies are advancing agro-photovoltaic systems that merge renewable energy generation with sustainable farming practices.
Institutions like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) emphasized the importance of policy frameworks, financial incentives, and capacity building to scale up such initiatives globally.
One notable example is Ecowende, which is developing the Netherlands’ most ecological offshore wind farm, set to power three percent of national demand while boosting North Sea biodiversity.
The project is supported by IUCN’s Biodiversity Advisory Team, which provides independent guidance on environmental goals.
Moderated by Qiulin Liu of IUCN, the session featured experts including Adonai Herrera-Martínez from EBRD, Jinlei Feng from IRENA, and Steven Dickinson from TotalEnergies.
The session concluded that renewable energy development must deliver measurable gains for both biodiversity and communities to ensure a truly sustainable energy future.