Integrated policymaking is needed to deliver climate and ecological benefits from solar farms

IF 5 1区 环境科学与生态学 Q1 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION Journal of Applied Ecology Pub Date : 2024-07-29 DOI:10.1111/1365-2664.14745
Fabio Carvalho, Hing Kin Lee, Hollie Blaydes, Lucy Treasure, Laura J. Harrison, Hannah Montag, Kristina Vucic, Jonathan Scurlock, Piran C. L. White, Stuart P. Sharp, Tom Clarkson, Alona Armstrong
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Abstract

Multi‐purpose land use is of great importance for sustainable development, particularly in the context of increasing pressures on land to provide ecosystem services (e.g. food, energy) and support biodiversity. The recent global increase in land‐take for utility‐scale ground‐mounted solar farms (hereafter referred to as solar farms) to meet Net Zero targets presents an opportunity for enhanced delivery of ecosystem services, especially in temperate ecosystems where solar farm development often results in land use change away from comparatively intensive agricultural land management. Solar farms have long operational lifespans, experience low levels of disturbance during operation and can be managed for ecosystem services beyond low‐carbon electricity generation, including food production and biodiversity conservation. Here, we briefly synthesise the mechanisms by which solar farm development and operation may impact natural capital and ecosystem services, and provide policy recommendations for policymakers and the solar farm sector. Solar farms can deliver environmental benefits for hosting ecosystems while minimising negative impacts, with outcomes depending on location, construction techniques, and land management practices. However, the historical misalignment between climate, nature, and land use policies has hindered efforts to simultaneously address the climate and biodiversity crises through land use change for solar farms. For instance, existing public financial incentives in the UK that encourage landowners and developers to manage land for biodiversity largely exclude land with solar farms. Policy implications: We call for public policymakers to identify appropriate opportunities to amend existing national laws that address climate and biodiversity separately to improve integration of multiple aspects of the climate‐nature‐land use nexus into policymaking by: (1) formulating ecological and socio‐economic indicators and metrics that are appropriate to underpin the development, implementation, and assessment of public policies; (2) adopting a cross‐sectoral and cross‐government approach to form public policies; (3) ensuring solar farms can access public financial incentives that encourage sustainable land use; (4) implementing land use policies that incentivise funding from non‐government sources (e.g. private sector) into nascent nature markets; (5) embedding solar farms in biodiversity‐inclusive spatial planning policies and decision‐making; and (6) building equity and clarity into responsibilities and benefits for all actors involved.
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需要综合决策来实现太阳能发电场的气候和生态效益
多用途土地利用对可持续发展非常重要,特别是在土地提供生态系统服务(如粮食、能源)和支持生物多样性的压力日益增加的情况下。最近,为实现净零排放目标,全球公用事业规模的地面太阳能发电场(以下简称太阳能发电场)占用的土地不断增加,这为加强生态系统服务的提供提供了机遇,尤其是在温带生态系统中,太阳能发电场的开发往往会导致土地用途的改变,而不再是相对集约的农业用地管理。太阳能发电场的运行寿命长,运行期间的干扰程度低,除了低碳发电外,还可对生态系统服务进行管理,包括粮食生产和生物多样性保护。在此,我们简要综述了太阳能发电场的开发和运营可能影响自然资本和生态系统服务的机制,并为政策制定者和太阳能发电场部门提供了政策建议。太阳能发电场可为所在生态系统带来环境效益,同时将负面影响降至最低,其结果取决于地点、建造技术和土地管理实践。然而,气候、自然和土地使用政策之间的历史错位阻碍了通过改变太阳能发电场的土地使用来同时解决气候和生物多样性危机的努力。例如,英国现有的公共财政激励措施鼓励土地所有者和开发商对土地进行生物多样性管理,但在很大程度上并不包括太阳能发电场所在的土地。政策影响:我们呼吁公共政策制定者寻找适当的机会,修订分别处理气候和生物多样性问题的现有国家法律,通过以下方式将气候-自然-土地利用关系的多个方面更好地纳入政策制定中:(1) 制定生态和社会经济指标及衡量标准,以支持公共政策的制定、实施和评估;(2) 采用跨部门和跨政府的方法制定公共政策;(3) 确保太阳能农场能够获得鼓励可持续土地利用的公共财政激励措施;(4) 实施土地利用政策,激励非政府来源(如私营部门)的资金投入到新生的土地利用项目中。(5) 将太阳能发电场纳入生物多样性包容的空间规划政策和决策中;以及 (6) 为所有参与者建立公平和明确的责任和利益。
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来源期刊
Journal of Applied Ecology
Journal of Applied Ecology 环境科学-生态学
CiteScore
9.80
自引率
3.50%
发文量
229
审稿时长
4.5 months
期刊介绍: Journal of Applied Ecology publishes novel, high-impact papers on the interface between ecological science and the management of biological resources.The editors encourage contributions that use applied ecological problems to test and develop basic theory, although there must be clear potential for impact on the management of the environment.
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