Onshore Wind and Biodiversity: What Does the Science Tell Us?

As the energy transition accelerates worldwide, onshore wind power has become a key lever for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving climate objectives. At the same time, the rapid deployment of renewable energy infrastructure raises important questions about its interactions with biodiversity and ecosystems.

To help address these questions, Mirova Research Center (MRC) and the Fondation pour la Recherche sur la Biodiversité (FRB) launched a three-year research partnership dedicated to improving scientific understanding of the biodiversity impacts of renewable energy infrastructure and the effectiveness of mitigation measures.

This programme combines systematic reviews of the scientific literature, targeted research funding, and dialogue with scientists, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. It covers three major renewable energy technologies: onshore wind, offshore wind, and ground-mounted solar energy.

The first publication series focuses on onshore wind energy and its impacts on flying biodiversity, including birds and bats. Drawing on an extensive review of the international scientific literature, the research examines the effects of wind energy infrastructure across its lifecycle—from construction to operation—and evaluates available solutions to avoid, reduce, or mitigate negative impacts.

A comprehensive set of publications

For each renewable energy technology studied, the programme delivers four complementary publications designed for both scientific and non-scientific audiences:

A full scientific report on biodiversity impacts;
A summary paper presenting the key findings on impacts;
A full scientific report assessing mitigation measures and their effectiveness;
A summary paper presenting solutions, recommendations, and operational guidance.

Together, these publications provide a robust evidence base to support decision-making and contribute to a more biodiversity-compatible energy transition.

Key findings on onshore wind energy

The research highlights that the main biodiversity impacts of onshore wind installations occur during the construction and operational phases.

Among the impacts identified are:

Habitat loss and degradation resulting from site development;
Direct mortality through collisions with turbine blades;
Disturbance caused by noise, vibrations, rotor movement, and increased human presence;
Changes in behaviour and flight patterns, particularly for migratory species.

The publications also present recommendations for researchers, policymakers, developers, and operators, with the objective of improving impact assessment, strengthening mitigation measures, and promoting more sustainable development practices.

By bringing together the latest scientific knowledge and translating it into actionable recommendations, this work contributes to a better understanding of how climate and biodiversity objectives can be pursued together.

Solutions and recommendations: what works?

Beyond assessing impacts, the programme also examined the effectiveness of existing mitigation measures and identified practices that can help reduce risks for biodiversity.

The review highlights several promising approaches, including:

Careful project siting and spatial planning, avoiding areas of high ecological sensitivity and migration corridors;
Curtailment strategies, such as temporarily slowing or stopping turbines during periods of elevated collision risk;
Increasing turbine cut-in speeds, which has been shown to significantly reduce bat mortality while having a limited impact on electricity production;
Detection and automated response systems, including radar, acoustic monitoring, and AI-enabled technologies that can trigger turbine shutdowns when vulnerable species are present;
Deterrent technologies, such as ultrasonic devices for bats and visual measures to improve turbine visibility for birds.

The research also stresses that mitigation effectiveness is often species- and context-specific, highlighting the need for continued monitoring, local adaptation, and further scientific research.

Recommendations for key stakeholders

Building on the scientific evidence, the programme formulates recommendations for three key audiences:

For the scientific community, priorities include improving collision-risk modelling, developing and testing new mitigation technologies, strengthening research on under-studied species such as insects, and promoting standardized methodologies and data sharing.

For developers and operators, the report recommends integrating biodiversity considerations from the earliest stages of project design, deploying effective mitigation technologies, implementing robust monitoring programmes, and increasing transparency around biodiversity impacts and performance.

For policymakers and public authorities, the research calls for clearer regulatory frameworks, greater support for biodiversity research, stronger monitoring requirements, and enhanced collaboration between scientists, industry, and local communities.