Biodiversity
Along with global warming and human-driven climate change, biodiversity loss represents one of the globe’s greatest challenges. The numbers aren’t good, and the numbers don’t lie: the last 50 years have seen a rapid decline of biodiversity, with an ever-increasing number of species facing extinction. The WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024, for example, shows that the average size of wildlife populations fell by 73% between just 1970 and 2020. In that context, how can Statkraft both ensure that we deliver the renewable energy the world and climate need, while also protecting biodiversity at its most vulnerable?
Acknowledging our impact
When it comes to interconnected issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss, there are rarely quick or simple solutions. With global warming and climate change among the primary drivers of biodiversity loss, it’s clear that transitioning as quickly as possible from high-emission fossil fuels is acutely urgent.
But It goes without saying that we take our impacts on nature and the knock-on effects on locally affected communities extremely seriously.
Renewable energy projects will in most cases conduct a formal Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as part of their permitting and licensing process. These assessments include consideration for impacts to biodiversity and how to mitigate those impacts. The permit will also incorporate what requirements, and mitigation measures a project needs to undertake in order to reduce its impacts to biodiversity.
For example, at one of wind project sites here in Ireland, colleagues came together to build Bee Hotels from construction materials and natural resources. These habitats create a safe haven for pollinators, supporting the growth of bee populations along with and boosting local plant health.
In our annual report, Statkraft reports on land-use from new energy developments. In 2024, we reported a total land-use change of just under 235 Hectares (temporary and permanent habitat disturbances) whilst developing a total of about 466 MW capacity of renewable energy. This is a land-use ratio of 0.52 Ha per MW capacity developed.
The number of sites in protected areas has increased from 2023 to 2024 as we have changed the approach to counting the protected areas. In last year’s report, Statkraft mentioned that we had 18 sites in protected areas and 28 sites adjacent to protected areas. Inclusion of key biodiversity area is also new in 2024, and therefore has no comparable data. A site will be included in both metrics if it is located in or near a protected area that is also recognized as a key biodiversity area.