By Abbas Nazil
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has called for renewable energy development that supports both climate action and biodiversity conservation during the 2025 World Coastal Forum held in Yancheng, China, on September 25.
The event, organized in collaboration with Eco-Foundation Global and BirdLife International, brought together global experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss how renewable energy can expand sustainably without harming coastal and marine ecosystems.
In his opening remarks, IUCN Deputy Director General Stewart Maginnis emphasized that the global transition to renewable energy must go beyond decarbonization to deliver equitable and nature-positive outcomes.
He stated that tripling global renewable capacity by 2030 is crucial but must be done responsibly to avoid repeating environmental mistakes of the past.
Maginnis noted that renewable infrastructure should be planned in harmony with healthy ecosystems, stressing that biodiversity safeguards and community engagement must be integrated from the start.
“The Green, Just Energy Transition signifies more than the move from fossil fuels to renewables—it is our collective commitment to achieve this shift equitably for people and beneficially for nature,” Maginnis said.
He added that limiting global warming would be impossible without protecting the ecosystems that sustain life, highlighting IUCN’s initiatives in spatial planning, cumulative impact assessment, and nature-positive business models.
Rachel Asante-Owusu, IUCN’s Global Lead on Energy Transition, echoed the call for integrated approaches that balance renewable expansion with biodiversity protection.
She said meeting the Paris Agreement targets requires aligning energy development with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s goal of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
Asante-Owusu presented findings from IUCN’s Renewables for Nature initiative, which helps governments, investors, and companies integrate biodiversity into energy planning.
She emphasized that effective cumulative impact assessment and spatial planning are vital to achieving both climate and biodiversity goals.
“Enhancement measures must be additional to mitigation and based on evidence,” she said, adding that they should deliver measurable and long-term benefits for ecosystems and communities.
Representatives from leading renewable energy companies, including LONGi Green Energy Technology, Goldwind Technology, and Envision Energy, shared their experiences incorporating biodiversity management into their projects.
LONGi outlined its LIGHT philosophy, which prioritizes sustainable production and digital innovation to promote clean energy for all.
Goldwind highlighted its use of recyclable wind turbines and biodiversity protection efforts in wind farm operations.
Envision Energy showcased its initiatives to integrate biodiversity conservation into project planning through the Greenwich platform, which helps identify and avoid protected areas while engaging communities in conservation.
Speakers from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, BirdLife International, Shan Shui Conservation Center, Biotope, and IUCN also presented practical recommendations on biodiversity-sensitive spatial planning and co-benefit projects involving local communities.
The session concluded with a strong call for greater collaboration in marine spatial planning and biodiversity monitoring to ensure that renewable energy growth enhances ecosystem resilience.
As the global community accelerates toward decarbonization, the forum reaffirmed that achieving net-zero emissions must go hand in hand with protecting nature.
IUCN emphasized that the path to a sustainable future requires renewable energy development that is inclusive, scientifically guided, and fundamentally nature-positive.
