Abstract
Renewable energy (RE) is crucial in fighting climate change but can overlap with other human-induced threats to biodiversity. We assess associations between RE developments (wind farms, solar panels, and dams) and major anthropogenic threats to terrestrial biodiversity (birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians) in South and Central America and Europe, under present conditions and future RE expansion. We also evaluate the number of threatened species in areas with and without overlapping threats. Results show that RE is positively associated with other threats, with South and Central America exhibiting a higher prevalence of positive associations than Europe (present: 56% vs. 42%; future: 65% vs. 49%). Future patterns reveal new positive associations between threats, particularly for mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, with solar and wind developments most frequently involved. Additionally, higher numbers of threatened species occur in areas with new RE developments overlapping other threats. These findings help balance RE expansion and biodiversity conservation.