Solar, Biodiversity & Land Use: What role does solar play in nature protection and ecosystem restoration?

The world faces two unprecedented and mutually reinforcing challenges: global warming caused by the large concentration of greenhouse gases, and biodiversity loss, both driven by human activities which threaten our nature, society, and economy. Today, more than 85% of global wetland areas have been lost and one million animal species are endangered. In Europe, more than 80% of the continent’s habitats are under critical conditions. In addition to decarbonising all sectors, the conservation and regeneration of ecosystems is essential. Therefore, addressing both biodiversity and climate change challenges simultaneously is crucial. Today, more than 75% of global land areas are degraded, caused by human-made activities. To offset these effects, a specific focus on soil regeneration is needed. Considerations of soil ecosystems, conservation and restoration measures must be taken into account in land use and the deployment of any kind of infrastructure in natural areas.

SolarPower Europe, in cooperation with BirdLife, published a first-of-its-kind best practices guidelines for Solar, Biodiversity and Land Use. The report also includes a toolbox for the solar sector that offers guidance on identifying suitable land for solar deployment, and the potential environmental opportunities and challenges of utility-scale solar projects. The report also showcases real-world examples of nature positive solar sites, including dual land-use project types like floating PV or AgriPV.

Focus:

The purpose of the webinar is to facilitate discussions with key stakeholders (NGOs, solar industry, EU policy makers) on topics such as land use and identification of areas suitable for solar, nature preservation and biodiversity enhancement of solar projects. The discussions will also focus on legal and political needs to accelerate solar deployment in line with nature conservation and restoration goals and highlighting best practices.

Moderated discussion by Lina Dubina, Policy Advisor for Sustainability, SolarPower Europe 

14:00 – 14:10 : Welcoming words & Introduction  

    Lina Dubina, Policy Advisor for Sustainability, SolarPower Europe 

14:10 – 14:20 : Presentations by the speakers 

14:25 – 14:50 : Panel Discussion

     Penny Laurenson, Director of Environmental & Social Planning, Lightsource bp

     Valentine Lassalas, Senior Public Affairs Manager, Akuo

     Carla Freund, Policy Officer for a nature-friendly energy transition in Europe, NABU/BirdLife Europe

     François Versini-Campinchi, Environmental Lawyer, LPA-CGR
 

14:50 – 15:05 : Q&A Session  

15:05 – 15:15 : Closing Remarks 

    Lina Dubina, Policy Advisor for Sustainability, SolarPower Europe