Reconciling climate action with the need for biodiversity protection, restoration and rehabilitation

Abstract

Globally, we are faced with a climate crisis that requires urgent transition to a low-carbon economy. Simultaneously, the biodiversity crisis demands equally urgent action to prevent further species loss and promote restoration and rehabilitation of ecosystems. Climate action itself must prevent further pressures on biodiversity and options for synergistic gains for both climate and biodiversity change mitigation and adaptation need to be explored and implemented. Here, we review the key potential impacts of climate mitigation measures in energy and land-use on biodiversity, including the development of renewable energy such as offshore and onshore wind, solar, and bioenergy. We also assess the potential impacts of climate action driven afforestation and native habitat rehabilitation and restoration. We apply our findings to Ireland as a unique case-study as the government develops a coordinated response to climate and biodiversity change through declaration of a joint climate and biodiversity emergency and inclusion of biodiversity in key climate change legislation and the national Climate Action Plan. However, acknowledgement of these intertwined crises is only a first step; implementation of synergistic solutions requires careful planning. We demonstrate how synergy between climate and biodiversity action can be gained through explicit consideration of the effects of climate change mitigation strategies, such as energy infrastructure development and land-use change, on biodiversity. We identify several potential "win-win" strategies for both climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation. For Ireland, these include increasing offshore wind capacity, rehabilitating natural areas surrounding onshore wind turbines, and limiting the development of solar photovoltaics to the built environment. Ultimately, climate mitigation should be implemented in a "Right Action, Right Place" framework to maximise positive biodiversity benefits. This review provides one of the first examples of how national climate actions can be implemented in a biodiversity-conscious way to initiate discussion about synergistic solutions for both climate and biodiversity.

Keywords: Climate change mitigation; Ireland; Land-use change; Nature-based solutions; Policy; Renewable energy.