Urgent action is needed to tackle global climate change. Renewable energy can help minimise carbon emissions and the other environmental challenges associated with generating electricity from coal. And healthy, resilient environments are important buffers against the intense storms, flooding and other predicted effects of climate change.
This presents us with a challenge – for all its environmental benefits, poorly planned renewable energy facilities can have negative environmental impacts. They can cause loss or transformation of habitat, and may cause the direct mortality of birds and bats. We need renewable energy, but it must be planned and developed in harmony with nature.
BirdLife South Africa provides rationale, expert opinion and evidence-based guidance (see more below) and advice to stakeholders including government, renewable energy developers and operators, environmental assessment practitioners and bird specialists to help minimise the impact of renewable energy on birds and their habitats.
We engage with all stages of the development of renewable energy facilities, from policy, planning and site screening, through to the operational phase
