Building better practice for renewable energy: Six ways to improve ecosystem outcomes

The large-scale deployment of renewable energy is one of the key strategies to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions. In Australia, the Federal Government has set a target of 82% renewable energy by 2030, which will require the construction of 60 million solar panels and the installation of 40 wind turbines each month.

While renewable energy has lower overall impacts on human and environmental health than fossil fuel, the scale and speed at which renewable energy will need to be implemented carries significant risks for ecosystems. A team at the Institute for Sustainable Futures has conducted a review of the scientific and grey literature to identify the impacts of solar energy, wind energy, battery energy storage systems, bioenergy, hydropower and green hydrogen on habitat, wildlife, soil and water.

The project team compiled information on the strategies that can be adopted to mitigate impacts along the supply chain from raw material sourcing all the way to end of life. They identified six areas of best practice – or better practice - to minimise the impacts of renewable energy:

Implementing strategic planning to minimise habitat loss
Improving site selection to minimise land use-impacts and designing nature positive projects
Increasing the uptake of circular economy practices during the construction phase of renewable energy infrastructure
Using smart operating technologies and practices to minimise biodiversity impacts during construction and operation
Minimising waste and land impacts at end-of-life, by extending the life of renewable energy infrastructures and facilitating their recycling
Reducing impacts from mining and manufacturing in renewable energy supply chains

RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Building better practice for renewable energy: Six ways to improve ecosystem outcomes (Report) (2024)

Building better practice for renewable energy: Six ways to improve ecosystem outcomes (Appendices) (2024)