The biodiversity-wind energy-land use nexus in a global biodiversity hotspot

Wind energy is the leading renewable technology towards achieving climate goals, yet biodiversity trade-offs via land take are emerging. Thus, we are facing the paradox of impacting on biodiversity to combat climate change. We suggest a novel method of spatial planning that enhances windfarm sustainability: investments are prioritized in the most fragmented zones that lie outside the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. We showcase it in Greece. a biodiversity hotspot with a strong climate policy and land conflict between conservation and wind energy schemes. The analysis indicates that the suggested investment zone supports wind harnessing 1.5 times higher than the 2030 national goal, having only marginally lower (4%) wind speed. It performs well for the conservation of the annexed habitats and species of the two Nature Directives and it greatly overlaps with the Important Bird Areas (93%) and the roadless areas (80%) of Greece. It also greatly overlaps (82%-91%) with the exclusion zones suggested according to three sensitivity maps for bird conservation. Since land use change triggers biodiversity decline, we underline the necessity of such approaches for meeting both climate and biodiversity goals and call for a greater environmental policy convergence towards biodiversity conservation and no net land take. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

Wind energy is a leading renewable technology for achieving climate goals, but there are biodiversity trade-offs to consider. The novel spatial planning method proposed in Greece prioritizes investments in fragmented areas outside protected zones, showcasing a successful balance between wind energy development and biodiversity conservation. This approach supports both climate and biodiversity goals, highlighting the importance of environmental policy convergence for sustainable development.