Abstract
The renewables and grid sector is expanding rapidly as part of efforts to both mitigate the impacts of climate change and to support the economic development of emerging economies. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for biodiversity and nature conservation. Renewable and grid projects range from small solar parks to large-scale offshore wind farms, resulting in a wide diversity of scales and associated environmental considerations. The sector frequently involves extensive linear infrastructure, such as transmission lines and subsea cables, which can fragment habitats and amplify ecological impacts. Offshore wind introduces a marine context, requiring careful management of seabed habitats, migratory species, and ecosystem connectivity. Importantly, impacts of renewables are often cumulative, particularly for offshore wind, yet current standards do not fully address cumulative effects, representing a notable gap in the reporting landscape.
As the sector evolves to meet global energy demands and help mitigate the effects of the current climate crisis, there is growing recognition that environmental reporting must not only align with regulatory requirements, but also drive meaningful, measurable improvements for nature. A growing number of frameworks and metrics have been developed with a view to enabling and tracking biodiversity net gain in the marine realm, with extensive indicator catalogues containing as many as 611 indicators, about half of which are operational and suitable for regulatory contexts.
This summary report provides selected insights into the current reporting landscape and identifies key gaps, with the aim of supporting the sector with the development of more robust, transparent, and nature-positive outcomes. It covers legal and voluntary reporting frameworks and standards—including the ways Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) influence biodiversity-risk disclosures—and assessed their alignment with the GBF’s NaturePositive expectations. The landscape remains work in progress, and the Global Initiative for Nature, Grids and Renewables (GINGR) will continue to carry out work to advance progress across this area globally.
The report’s findings were presented during a webinar, "Beyond Compliance: Adopting a Standardised Approach to Biodiversity Reporting for a Nature-Positive Energy Transition", hosted by GINGR and The Biodiversity Consultancy on 11 March 2026. View the "Snapshot of the reporting landscape" presentation slides here.