Harmonizing nature and power: Mainstreaming biodiversity into electric grid expansion

The global transition toward renewable energy is demanding a massive expansion of electric grids worldwide. By 2040, more than 80 million km of powerlines will need installation or upgrading globally. Such grid expansion can heavily impact biodiversity if not planned properly. Integrating benefits for human well-being, climate change mitigation and biodiversity impacts is key to ensuring equitable and sustainable development. Current regulations prioritize rapid development over sustainability. Based on our review of biodiversity targets in NBSAPs prior to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, only 2% of parties explicitly addressed grid impact mitigation, suggesting that grid expansion has received limited attention in biodiversity planning. In order to foster mainstreaming of biodiversity into sustainable grid expansion, this paper suggests the following three lines of policy interventions focusing on different levels of action: decision making and planning, financing, and engagement of citizens with decision makers. This concerted approach aims to help harmonize energy infrastructure expansion with biodiversity conservation, fostering a more sustainable pathway for renewable-based energy systems.