Green, Just Energy Transition

Partnerships

IRENA (MoU signing at WCC): The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.  

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals Energy Task Force (CMS ETF): The CMS Energy Task Force is a multi-stakeholder platform that works towards reconciling renewable energy developments with the conservation of migratory species. The CMS Energy Task Force brings together governments, multilateral environmental agreements, investors, the private sector and non-governmental organizations with an aim of avoiding and minimising negative impacts of energy developments on migratory species.  IUCN is proactively engaged and contributing as an observer organisation.  

RGI (MoU IUCN and RGI join forces to promote nature positive renewable energy generation and electricity grids - News | IUCN): RGI is a unique collaboration of NGOs and TSOs from across Europe engaging in an ‘energy transition ecosystem-of-actors’. They promote fair, transparent, sustainable  grid development to enable the growth of renewables to achieve full decarbonisation in line with the Paris Agreement.  The partnership is to advance collaboration on the development of sustainable renewable energy and electricity grid, under which the GINGR initiative was developed and materialised, see more details in the project page. IUCN is also the supporting organisation for the RGI found Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN).  

CREEI (IUCN signs agreement with leading Chinese research institute on renewable energy - Story | IUCN): Facing the future, the institute is committed to developing into a world-class think tank and consulting company in the energy industry, and continues to provide high-level research results and solutions for energy-related government agencies, industry organizations and related enterprises.  The partnership aims to cooperate on research on renewable energy, including how to speed the transition away from fossil fuels and ensure that renewable energy alternatives contribute towards Nature Positive targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.  

LONGi (LONGi – IUCN collaboration to support solar energy sector to contribute to biodiversity goals - Story | IUCN): Under the mission of "To make the best of solar energy to build a green world" with a brand positioning of "The most trusted, reliable solar company that blazes the trail for green technology,"LONGi is developing solutions for large-scale power plants, for different industries and households with its innovation-focused development. This collaboration highlights the importance of integrating corporate climate action with biodiversity conservation efforts. In addition to supporting the solar energy sector to contribute towards global biodiversity goals, the partnership could help promote the potential for photovoltaic projects to have benefits for nature and raise awareness of conservation in the solar energy industry. 

REDEIA (IUCN and REDEIA join forces to promote nature-positive energy infrastructure in Spain and Latin America - Story | IUCN): REDIEA guarantees the electricity supply and ensure connectivity, driving a green transition that is fair and based on sustainability criteria, showcasing our neutrality and contributing to social and territorial cohesion. The partnership will focus on promoting a positive impact on biodiversity and the natural surroundings of REDEIA facilities in Spain and Latin America.

Ipieca: Ipieca brings together members and stakeholders to lead in integrating sustainability by advancing climate action, environmental responsibility and social performance across oil, gas and renewables activities. The objective of this partnership is to improve energy companies’ environmental performance in biodiversity conservation and activities that accelerate the energy transition.  

 Shell: The collaboration between the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Shell, established in 1999, has evolved into a powerful partnership aimed at addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges. Building on years of trust and leveraging each other's strengths, the renewed collaboration focuses on the interlinkages between biodiversity and climate crises, emphasizing the need for transformative changes in production and consumption patterns to meet societal goals. The vision of this partnership is a "just transition towards a low carbon and nature-positive future," underpinned by four main outcomes: Integrating Science-Based Approaches, Influencing the Sector and Global Goals, Improving Knowledge and Learning, and Building a Transformative Collaboration Model. 

Opportunities

Decarbonisation  

Building on its programmatic collaboration with the wind and solar sectors, the IUCN CCET team is now expanding its focus to include other critical components of the low-carbon energy transition. This includes dedicated projects and initiatives on sustainable biofuels, carbon capture and storage (CCS/CDR), and green hydrogen. These efforts are aimed at refining and advancing IUCN’s overarching strategic approach to the global energy transition.  

IUCN brings unique value to this space by leveraging its deep expertise in biodiversity conservation, environmental governance, and multi-stakeholder engagement. As part of its mission, IUCN helps ensure that emerging energy solutions are environmentally responsible, socially equitable, and aligned with global sustainability goals.  

Key Areas of Activity  

Biofuels

 IUCN is exploring how sustainably produced biofuels can reduce reliance on fossil fuels. This includes: 

• Evaluating their environmental and socio-economic impacts  
• Promoting responsible sourcing and land-use practices  
• Guiding efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species  
• Ensuring compatibility with biodiversity protection and rural livelihoods  

IUCN Resolutions and Recommendations

• WCC 2008 RES 083: Industrial agrofuel production. For more opportunities for the rural poor, women and indigenous peoples, and that increase the resilience of agro-ecosystems to climate change.’  
• WCC 2008 RES 082: Sustainable biomass-based energy to support efforts to develop sustainable biofuels that conserve biodiversity, bring significant benefits to climate-change mitigation and adaptation.’  
• WCC 2012 Res 088: Responsible renewable energy sources. This resolution ‘requests the Director General to promote, on the basis of IUCN data, the compilation of a report to be made available to Members, including an assessment of the environmental and social impacts which, to date, have been caused by the production and use of biofuels on a global scale’;  
• WCC 2012 Res 087: Energy and Conservation. recognize that deciding between energy sources must take into consideration the inextricable linkages between energy, food and water security;’
• WCC 2020 Rec 011: The fight against imported deforestation.  

Carbon Capture and Dioxide Removal (CCS/CDR)  

As global attention turns to negative emissions technologies, IUCN is:  

• Assessing innovative carbon capture and storage solutions  
• Ensuring ecosystem integrity and environmental safeguards  
• Contributing to policy frameworks that support credible net-zero pathways  

Hydrogen  

With growing interest in clean hydrogen as a fuel of the future, IUCN is focused on:  

• Supporting the development of green hydrogen technologies  
• Minimizing ecological impacts during production and infrastructure deployment  
• Encouraging collaboration for scalable, sustainable implementation  

This multi-pronged approach positions IUCN to not only contribute to a carbon-neutral future but also to ensure that the path to it safeguards nature, supports communities, and enhances resilience.