Posters

Abstract

The impact and importance of climate change is getting the much-needed attention it deserves and, the need for action has never been more widely understood. However, the lesser publicised, but equally critical, biodiversity crisis is rarely discussed, even though our biodiversity is declining at its fastest rate in human history. The development of renewable energy projects can, and should, take a more holistic approach to combating climate change, considering the climatic and ecological benefits of enhancing and restoring the ecosystems surrounding our assets. Biodiversity is the variety and variability of flora and fauna, and the ecosystems they form. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that almost 30% of species are currently threatened with extinction, whilst there is evidence that shows the quality of habitats which supports our biodiversity is also declining. It is estimated that 1/3 of the net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, required to meet the Paris Agreement targets, could be achieved through nature-based solutions, such as the restoration of unhealthy or modified ecosystems including peatlands. Peatlands cover approximately 3% of the world's surface but it is estimated that they hold twice as much carbon as the world's forests. In Scotland, it is estimated that 80% of our peatlands are in a degraded form, meaning the carbon which has been stored inside the peatland habitats is released into the atmosphere, negatively contributing to climate change. The renewable energy industry can and should be doing more to improve ecosystems and benefit biodiversity through our renewable energy assets.