Building renewable energy in balance with biodiversity

Biodiversity is our life-support system – and it is in crisis. Climate change is projected to be the biggest driver of biodiversity loss in the coming decade. As a global leader in green energy, it’s our responsibility to make a positive contribution to both climate and nature.

Tackling climate change and the biodiversity crisis together

Both renewable energy and biodiversity are critical to the future of life on earth. Operating in the energy sector, we’re acutely aware of this. The scale and speed of onshore and offshore infrastructure build needed to meet global climate goals is unprecedented. Understanding and addressing the biodiversity impact of our industry has become urgent.

This is especially true in the marine environment. Loss of marine biodiversity is weakening the ocean’s role as a key global climate regulator, while ocean-based infrastructure plays a critical role in all paths to net zero. To limit global warming to 1.5 °C and improve the health of our oceans, offshore wind energy must strengthen marine biodiversity

How does this connection between offshore wind energy and marine biodiversity restoration take shape at Ørsted?

Our commitment to protect and enhance biodiversity

At Ørsted, we are proud of our standing as the world’s most sustainable energy company. We are committed to using this experience to deliver the industry-leading goal of transforming all renewable energy projects into projects that create a net-positive biodiversity impact. We have already started, and our ambition is that no later than 2030, all new projects commissioned must have a net-positive biodiversity impact.

This is new territory – for us and the energy industry. We don’t yet have all the answers, but we’re leading the sector in the scale and breadth of our ambition. We have a dedicated programme of action to find solutions that deliver – from the outset – the outcome science tells us must be achieved.

Drawing on our unparalleled wealth of experience in offshore wind, we’re working on how to meaningfully measure biodiversity impact in the dynamic ocean environment.

We want to invest more in ambitious nature-positive projects and learn from them as we develop a suite of net-positive biodiversity measures the scientific community can stand behind.

We’re driving forward the international debate and collaboration needed to bring about a global step-change in how we think about the integration of climate and biodiversity goals and plans to meet them.

Explore some of our biodiversity initiatives

Spearheaded by an experienced in-house team of environmental specialists, we already work to minimise and mitigate potential biodiversity impact from our projects. Here are some of our key initiatives for protecting biodiversity.

We’re restoring biodiversity around the UK Humber Estuary.
Learn more

We’ve installed artificial reefs at Borssele 1&2 to support the growth of Atlantic cod.
Watch it here

Read about our programme to protect and conserve the North Atlantic right whale.
Read the article here

We’re giving corals a home among our tropical wind turbines.
Discover more

Discover how we’ve installed 3D-printed reefs to support marine life off Anholt Offshore Wind Farm.
Learn more

We are testing the potential of marine rewilding to restore ocean biodiversity.
Discover more

A global approach to protecting our oceans

The global approach to ocean stewardship must adapt to align climate and biodiversity goals – and enable a sustainable and inclusive ocean economy.

This is bigger than wind power. Global plans for reaching net-zero, improving food security, and creating shared prosperity all mean increasing use of marine space and associated environmental pressures. At the same time, global efforts are growing to greatly increase ocean protection. The ocean cannot deliver the potential it holds without the resilience of biodiversity.

This presents a challenge: how to ensure the two outcomes – increased use and increased protection – are mutually supportive rather than limiting.

The answer is a new approach to marine spatial planning and cooperation of ocean actors. Ørsted is contributing to the growing global effort on this, through initiatives such as the UN Global Compact Ocean Stewardship Coalition and the Science Based Targets Network.Sc

Sustainability report 2021

Green energy for the planet and its people

Discover how Ørsted is making renewables a force for positive change – far beyond delivering zero-emissions energy

Sustainability Report