Handbook of climate change and biodiversity

Abstract

Climate and biodiversity issues cannot be considered one without the other because of the multiple interactions and interdependencies between them. Solutions for climate mitigation relying on the evolution of the energy sector should take this intertwining into account. The French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB) and ORÉE, a multi-stakeholder NGO advocating the sharing of good environmental practices among stakeholders, explored potential ways to approach the complexity of climate, energy and biodiversity issues in order to develop sustainable solutions. They have been studying the links and interactions between renewable energy and biodiversity through, among others, a conference organized by FRB and a book published by ORÉE. In both the conference and the book, energy producers and suppliers discussed their level of awareness on the issue and presented measures taken to avoid, reduce or offset biodiversity impacts when installing renewable energy infrastructures. This experience sharing highlighted several ways forward in order to reconcile biodiversity protection with the shift towards sustainable energy. Thus, the need to better take biodiversity into account in the energy transition was voiced both by businesses and the research community. This paper presents the first outcomes of the reflections led at the national level by multiple stakeholders, in order to generate further ideas for research to support the design and implementation of integrated climate change and biodiversity policies.