Christian Kjaer European Wind Energy Association Bruxelles, 1 June 2005 Green Week Biodiversity: Can it adapt to climate change

About EWEA  EWEA is the voice of the wind industry – actively promoting the utilisation of wind power in Europe and worldwide  EWEA members from over 40 countries include 200 companies, organisations and research institutions  EWEA members include 98% of global wind turbine manufacturing  EWEA is a founding member of the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), which groups the 6 key renewable industry and research associations under one roof

European Challenges Economic growth Employment Technology development Exports Environment Sustainable development Kyoto: -8% CO2 Power demand up 1.6% p.a. 2002: EU Energy import: 50% 2025: EU Energy import: 70% Few indigenous resources

EU-25 Power Production Mix 2003 Electricity’s share of EU CO 2 emissions: 33%

Effects of climate change

EU Power Production Externalities Cost of damage to environment and health – excluding global warming and climate change (EU-15) 1-2% of GDP €85 - €170 billion per year Avoided external cost by wind in EU: – 2000: €1.8 bn – 2005: €5 bn – 2020: €25 bn

EUROPE’S WINDCAPACITY – JUNE 2003

CONTRIBUTION OF WIND POWER (TWH) TO ELECTRICITY GENERATION , EU 2004: 2.3% of EU-25 electricity demand

Annual CO 2 Emission Reductions from Wind Power

Wind power and CO 2 EU Kyoto Commitment: Reduction of 355 Mt CO 2 equivalents by GW wind power in 2010: 109 Mt CO 2 /year By 2010, wind will meet 30% of EU Kyoto commitment

Perceived and actual problems Survey of people living within 20 km of wind farms in Scotland Source: MORI

Need to determine the scale of the problem million sq.km. (20%) of tropical forest cut or burned ( s) Deforestation: 50,000 to 170,000 sq.km. Per year EU agriculture claims 50% of land (1-3% of wind farm land available for other use) Bird kills (Source: Wordwatch institute): Cats: 1 billion birds per year in the US Pesticides: 67 million deaths and 672 million exposed in US (1992) Communication towers: 40 million birds per year in US Exxon Valdez: 250,000 bird deaths Western EcoSystems Technology study (2001): Wind responsible for one in every 5,000-10,000 bird collissions

A proper judgement Under the assumption that we still want electricity: Impacts from wind power on biodiversity should be compared with those from alternative means of producing electricity in EIAs Requires that the impacts on biodiversity from oil, coal, gas, nuclear and hydro are better understood

Wind farm impacts are different from most other developments 1. There are potential negative impacts on biodiversity 2. There are also positive impacts, e.g. On: – climate change – acid rain – water pollution – air pollution Application of current Directives in some Member States seems disproportionate to wind energy’s net impact on biodiversity

Designation and offshore siting Consenting cables and high capital costs are the critical issues in the German offshore programme

Environmental Impact Assessment The project specific EIA framework works well, however the feedback on new project scoping is often conservative Increased collaboration is needed to fully assess cumulative impacts, especially in relation to large- scale offshore development Strategic Environmental Assessments can impose delays on increased offshore wind penetration

Wind energy and biodiversity Co-existence is key between Wind Energy and Nature Conservation Wind farms do offer some opportunity to practice ecological restoration both onshore and offshore Wind farms are not nature reservations, but they are not deserts either

Conservation potential of wind farms Onshore wind farms do offer some opportunities to practice ecological restoration in overgrazed and eroded areas Offshore wind farms do offer potential to revive fish stocks and other related marine life This will only happen if we are determined to maximise the conservation potential of the wind farms We must measure synergies and benefits of the wind farms rather than simply monitor ecological change