KEY CHALLENGES IN RECONCILING RENEWABLE ENERGY & NATURE CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES IN THE EU

Transcription

1 WWF EPO 2018 KEY CHALLENGES IN RECONCILING RENEWABLE ENERGY & NATURE CONSERVATION OBJECTIVES IN THE EU 12 th meeting of the Technical Platform for Cooperation on Environment Sabien Leemans S enior B iodiversity Policy Of ficer W W F E P O 1 9 S eptember

2 CONTEXT Bialowieza Forest, Poland WWF-Poland / Adam Lawnik Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) swimming in open sea. Zákinthos, Lagana Bay, Greece. Michel Gunther / WWF

3 CONTEXT Transition to 100% RE is needed How can this be done without harming the habitats and species protected under the EU Nature Directives? Biomass and hydropower are not the solution Biomass : current regulatory framework is not sufficient to prevent significant damage to biodiversity Additional hydropower will only add to the negative impacts of existing hydropower installations on river connectivity and biodiversity

4 CONTEXT Transition to 100% RE is needed How can this be done without harming the habitats and species protected under the EU Nature Directives? Not all renewable energy technologies are green! Whitlee wind farm on Eaglesham Moor, Scotland, UK Global Warming Images WWF

5 BIOMASS Current regulatory framework is not sufficient to prevent significant damage to biodiversity Renewable Energy Directive allows wood to be burned for energy without any meaningful restrictions Bioenergy should come from genuine waste streams

6 HYDROPOWER Already hydropower plants in Europe EU rivers are saturated Additional hydropower will only add to the negative impacts of existing hydropower installations on river connectivity and biodiversity Freshwater biodiversity is under threat A small scale hydro power station blocking the river WWF

7 WWF WHAT THE LPI TELLS US

8 HYDROPOWER Only 40% of European rivers, lakes and coastal waters are in a good ecological status Almost ¾ of freshwater species and habitats have an unfavourable-inadequate or unfavourable-bad status Hydropower plants are one of the main drivers affecting the status of rivers Salmon back in the Varde River, Denmark Jan Kamman

9 HYDROPOWER Hydropower cannot be reconciled with the conservation objectives of freshwater habitats protected under Natura 2000 and WFD Hydropower has a significant to very significant impact on freshwater habitats and species: River fragmentation, destruction of wetlands, species decline, blocking fish migration routes, trapping sediments Retuerta dam, Spain Big need to improve existing hydropower installations Mitigate negative impacts Increase power generation without building new plants/dams Dam removal

10 RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE Energy savings, demand flexibility, battery storage and the development of wind and solar Careful spatial planning is key! Wind energy possible impacts : collision risk, disturbance and displacement, barrier effect, habitat destruction Sensitivity mapping: to avoid risks at the strategic planning stage Wind energy, Waddensea coast, Germany Hartmut Jungius

11 RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE Mapped sensitivity of seabirds occurring in the Spanish Atlantic area to offshore Wind Farms

12 RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE EU s transition to low carbon energy will not be truly sustainable unless it reduces emissions without damaging nature Whitlee wind farm on Eaglesham Moor, Scotland, UK Global Warming Images WWF