Mapping a Sustainable Renewable Energy Transition: Handbook for Practitioners - Version 1

Introduction

Renewable energy is widely acknowledged as the critical pathway needed to reduce emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, land use conflicts pose a challenge to building the necessary infrastructure for renewable energy. While Europe is already a global leader in scaling up renewable energy that will be needed to replace fossil fuels – renewable capacity expansion must surpass the previous rate within the next five years.

During 2022-2027, renewables will need to add the same amount of installed capacity as over the last 20 years. That’s an 85% acceleration from the previous five years (International Energy Agency (IEA) 2023). It is evident that a new approach is needed to accelerate the build-out of renewable energy. With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European leaders are pushing for a more rapid transition to renewables as part of a strategy to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels. While renewable energy is the logical solution to Europe’s need for cheap, homegrown energy that also delivers climate change mitigation benefits, its deployment faces socio-ecological risks and negative land use impacts. In order to address the issue of climate change and enhance the European Union’s (EU) energy independence, there must be a rapid acceleration of the deployment of renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar power, while also reducing energy consumption. The ‘REPowerEU’ plan put forth by the Commission in 2022, which led to the revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED), comes at an appropriate time and offers a promising course forward, particularly the increase in the renewable energy target for 2030 to 42.5% and the designation of “Renewables Acceleration Areas”. This legislation will also significantly influence the energy policies of the EU’s neighboring countries through the Energy Community Treaty and the transposition of the amended EU RED into the national legislation of the Contracting Parties in the coming years. Identifying “Renewables Acceleration Areas” (as Member States are required to do by the new EU RED) which have a special designation that accelerates the deployment of wind and solar by establishing stricter deadlines for project approvals, should be carried out based on careful consideration of important environmental and social criteria and dependable spatial planning. There are several key socio-ecological challenges that Europe faces in meeting its 2030 renewable energy targets. These challenges include:

1. Land use and biodiversity impacts: Scaling up renewable energy production may require significant land use changes, such as building large solar arrays or wind farms. This can potentially impact critical biodiversity, natural habitats, and agricultural lands. A recent study by The Nature Conservancy suggests that meeting the EU’s renewable energy targets set for 2030 would lead to significant land impacts if development patterns focus solely on maximizing development potential. Solar development could potentially impact approximately 1,400 km2 of natural and agricultural lands while wind development could impact roughly 23,000-43,000 km2. The top 5 GHG emitting countries would experience more than half of this land loss (Kiesecker et al. In prep). However, the same assessment suggests that low-conflict converted landcover types have the potential to generate 5.5 million GWh of solar and 2.7 million GWh for wind across Europe – which equals roughly 7-28 times total solar renewable targets and 3 times total wind energy targets. To achieve this potential, careful planning and site selection must be employed to minimize the impact on sensitive areas and to ensure proper environmental assessments are conducted.
2. Social acceptance and local engagement: Social acceptance and local engagement are crucial for the successful implementation of renewable energy projects. Opposition from local communities due to concerns related to environmental impacts, aesthetics, noise, or changes in local landscapes can delay or hinder the development of renewable energy projects. 
3. Social and environmental justice: The deployment of renewable energy infrastructure can have social and environmental justice implications, including those concerning land rights, access to energy, and the distribution of benefits. It is important to ensure that renewable energy projects are developed in a way that respects the rights and needs of local communities, including vulnerable and marginalized populations. This will involve engaging in meaningful public consultation and participation with local stakeholders during impact assessment efforts, and ensuring fair and equitable benefit sharing mechanisms are in place. 
4. Regulatory and policy framework: Regulatory and policy frameworks play a critical role in facilitating or hindering the deployment of renewable energy. Uncertain or inconsistent policies, complex permitting processes, and administrative barriers such as insufficient capacity to process permitting requests can create uncertainties for investors and developers, impacting the pace and scale of renewable energy deployment. 

In summary, meeting Europe’s 2030 renewable energy targets and having increased renewable energy visions as part of countries’ National Energy and Climate Plans will require careful planning, stakeholder engagement, sustainable practices, good knowledge of biodiversity hotspots, and robust policies to address potential environmental challenges. A holistic approach that considers the interplay between renewable energy production, environmental conservation, social justice, and sustainability can help mitigate these challenges and pave the way for more rapid and sustainable deployment of wind and solar. Governments, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and local communities need to work together to identify and implement solutions that foster the transition to a low-carbon, renewable energy future while protecting the environment and ensuring social inclusiveness. Additionally, continued research, innovation, and technological advancements will also assist in overcoming these challenges and achieving higher renewable energy targets for European countries by 2030. Collaboration among countries, knowledge sharing, and international cooperation will also play a vital role in addressing these challenges on a regional and global scale. In short, a multifaceted approach is needed to tackle the environmental challenges associated with meeting Europe’s 2030 renewable energy targets. With proper planning, coordination, and implementation of sustainable practices, Europe can make significant progress toward a more sustainable energy future centered around renewable energy.

Citation

Sochi, K., Oakleaf, J.R., Bhattacharjee, A., Evans, J.S., Vejnović, I., Dropuljić, K.Z., Mileusnić, D., Bevk, T., Bjelić, I.B., Dedinec, A., Doljak, D., Gorin, S., Pavlović, B., Zec, M., & Kiesecker, J.M. (2023). Mapping a Sustainable Renewable Energy Transition: Handbook for Practitioners. The Nature Conservancy.