Abstract
Offshore wind energy and the associated electricity grid are crucial in the transition to a renewable energy system but place pressures on marine ecosystems that are already being degraded by human activities. To address the complexity of protecting nature while developing energy infrastructure, it is essential that stakeholders have a shared understanding of relevant environmental challenges and solutions, and a common language to describe them. This report reviews the key environmental concepts relevant in guiding the sustainable development of the offshore wind energy sector.
Sixteen concepts were identified by OCEaN members as being relevant for their offshore work:
- Conservation
- Critical habitat
- Ecological opportunity
- Ecological risk
- Ecosystem approachÂ
- Ecosystem restoration
- Ecosystem services
- Good Environmental Status
- Mitigation hierarchy
- Nature-based solutions
- Nature-inclusive design
- Nature positive
- Precautionary principle
- Pressures and impacts
- Seascapes approach
- Sustainability.
This paper defines each concept, explains why it is relevant to the offshore wind energy sector and summarises key issues, flagging the inter-linkages between them.
Some trends were identified in the concepts that require action.
- Common definitions need to be developed for each concept in the offshore wind energy context and the inter-linkages between concepts needs to be more thoroughly mapped and described.
- Most concepts were developed on land and some are newer than others, so many will require more testing, especially nature-inclusive design and nature positive.
- More research and data collection are required for several concepts, especially cumulative impacts, ecological risk, ecosystem restoration, good environmental status, and nature positive.
- How different stakeholders view and use different concepts within national Exclusive Economic Zones will vary, but finding ways of extending the use of concepts to the high seas would be beneficial.
- The most cross cutting concepts were conservation (with 14 links to other concepts), pressures and impacts (12), sustainability (12), ecosystem restoration (10) and the ecosystem approach (8), suggesting these key concepts should be a priority for further elaboration and harmonisation across the sector.
In conclusion, all 16 key concepts should be considered to some degree in maritime spatial planning going forward. Important next steps include harmonising definitions and terminology, and providing examples of the key concepts in action in the offshore wind energy sector. The best way forward might be to identify and produce a series of case studies highlighting how different concepts have led to improved sustainability and reduced environmental impacts in offshore wind farms.