Key to the purpose, considerations, and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) and agenda item 25 on biodiversity and climate change are coherence, complementarity, and cooperation between the CBD and other relevant multilateral agreements such as the UNFCCC. At UNFCCC COP28, governments agreed to triple global renewable capacity by 2030. They emphasized the importance of conserving, protecting, and restoring nature and ecosystems towards achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goal, in line with the KM-GBF.” To help realize these twin landmark agreements' nature-positive, net-zero goals, we need to address renewables' potentially negative biodiversity impacts and work towards a net positive impact. Actions focused on avoidance, mitigation, conservation, and systemic transformation in line with the mitigation and conservation hierarchy must be integrated as a key consideration from planning to implementation, monitoring, and reporting.  

Various multi-stakeholder partnerships are working to deliver this, such as the Convention on Migratory Species’ Energy Task Force and the World Economic Forum’s Clean Energy for a nature-positive Energy Transition expert group. However, the renewable energy sector faces significant barriers and challenges to achieving its full potential. Government enabling conditions, including ambitious, whole-of-government NBSAPs, are needed to complement and enhance renewable energy companies’ efforts. 

Through presentations and a panel discussion drawing on case studies from business, government, MEA, finance, and NGO representatives, this session:

• Contextualized the challenges and opportunities of expanding renewable energy in harmony with nature, including key principles needed to contribute to the nature-positive KM-GBF mission.
• Outlined what renewable energy companies and civil society were doing to address biodiversity impact through strategies, actions, guidance, and decision-support tools.
• Identified the barriers and challenges renewable energy companies faced in fully implementing the mitigation and conservation hierarchy and integrating biodiversity throughout their business decisions.
• Identified the policies and regulatory changes needed to rapidly deploy renewable energy infrastructure harmoniously with nature, such as considering KM-GBF target 1 (spatial planning).

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