UK investor launches nature blueprint for renewables

Published 12:43 on May 10, 2024  /  Last updated at 12:43 on May 10, 2024  / Thomas Cox /  Biodiversity, EMEA

A guide for adopting nature-positive practices across renewable energy sites has been published by Foresight Group, alongside details of an endangered butterfly conservation project on a solar farm.

A guide for adopting nature-positive practices across renewable energy sites has been published by Foresight Group, alongside details of an endangered butterfly conservation project on a solar farm.

The London-based investor said the 116-page Nature Recovery Blueprint should help provide insights on ecological assessment, beyond those currently available, to help renewable projects tackle the biodiversity crisis.

“The manual empowers land managers to take practical steps, to enhance biodiversity and restore nature across their holdings,” said Ross Driver, managing director of Foresight Group, which managed £11.9 billion ($14.9 bln) in assets at the end of March.

“We hope the guidebook gives greater visibility and access to existing nature positive initiatives for our industry peers to use,” Driver said in a statement. Foresight manages over 80 solar sites in the UK, 80 others in Europe, and 15 in Australia.

The blueprint aims to help land managers, developers, and asset managers through identifying:

  • Methodologies for monitoring, measuring, and evaluating biodiversity
  • Actions to create opportunities to restore and improve nature
  • Recommendations for actions that do not compromise the generation of renewable electricity
  • Initiatives to help local communities connect with nature

Renewable energy sites, like solar farms, offer comparatively undisturbed environments and long-term ownership or lease agreements, Foresight said in the guide, which also covers other types of renewable projects.

“Even slight adjustments to management practices or cost‑effective interventions can yield significant biodiversity improvements in a remarkably short time frame,” it said.

“For instance, wildflowers can flower within 12 weeks of sowing, while implementing a no-mow regime during summer months can yield biodiversity returns in just weeks.”

SOLAR BUTTERFLIES

A Foresight solar site in Cornwall is creating habitats for the endangered Marsh Fritillary butterfly with government agency Natural England and local conservation initiative the Eden Project.

By planting purple wildflower Devil’s-bit-Scabious, a butterfly food source, the site aims to enhance ecosystem resilience on the site.

“We have propagated native species at Growing Point – Eden’s new geothermally-heated nursery, using seed collected by the National Wildflower Centre and we have used expertise from Natural England to identify the best strategic locations on land provided by Foresight,” said Juliet Rose, head of development at the Eden Project.

“The collaboration … showcases the power of partnership in driving meaningful conservation efforts,” said Rose.

Butterflies can reflect the health of the environment through their rapid responses to ecological change.

Yesterday, UK-based company Queequeg Renewables announced it is collaborating with Biodiverse Consulting on ensuring five solar projects meet their biodiversity net gain requirements.

The impacts of renewable energy projects on the natural environment have become a global point of contention as the transition to low-emissions energy gathers pace.

On Friday, Foresight-managed Foresight Sustainable Forestry announced its net asset value increased by £6.6 million up to £175.8 mln between the end of Sep. 2023 and the last day of March.

By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com

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