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Story 13 Jan, 2025

IUCN signs agreement with leading Chinese research institute on renewable energy

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is joining forces with a leading Chinese institute 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.

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Photo: CREEI

Director General of the Chinese Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI) Dr Li Sheng and IUCN Deputy Director General of Programme Stewart Maginnis signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the sidelines of the 15th Session of the IRENA (International Renewable Energy Association) Assembly in Abu Dhabi.

IUCN and the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 11 January during the 15th Session of the IRENA (International Renewable Energy Association) Assembly in Abu Dhabi, where the theme was “Accelerating the Renewable Energy Transition – The Way Forward”.  

In addition to signing the MOU, Stewart Maginnis, IUCN’s Deputy Director General of Programme, continued the bilateral discussion with the Director General of CREEI, Dr Li Sheng, on the areas of collaboration between the two parties and beyond.  

“We know we are not on track to meet the Paris Agreement targets for limiting global temperature rise, and that we need to rapidly decarbonise and expand the use of renewable energy. At the same time, biodiversity is a crucial natural defence against climate change, and the aggressive push into renewable energy we need has to minimise any negative impacts on nature while providing benefits to local communities,” said Maginnis. “This new partnership between IUCN and CREEI will leverage both parties’ expertise to speed the transition to renewable energy while protecting biodiversity.” 

The Director General of CREEI emphasised that China has rich experience and practice in the development of renewable energy and related environmental protection. He added that CREEI looks forward to deepening cooperation with IUCN in integrating environmental benefits and biodiversity conservation principles into renewable energy development and construction, as well as jointly promoting the coordinated development of renewable energy. 

The agreement between IUCN and CREEI covers a number of potential areas for collaboration, including: how to ensure that the transition incorporates and benefits local communities while not negatively impacting biodiversity; how to develop metrics and tools to monitor and evaluate renewable energy projects’ contribution towards global goals; how to craft regulations that ensure that offshore renewable projects are environmentally sustainable and generate net positive impacts on marine ecosystems; and more.  

At the IRENA 2025 General Assembly, Stewart delivered a keynote speech at the side event entitled “Environmental Impacts and Benefits of Renewables”, highlighting the crucial importance of integrated actions and solutions to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Stewart also met with his counterpart at IRENA, Deputy Director General Gauri Singh, to discuss renewable energy efforts, followed by a working level meeting among IUCN, IRENA, and CREEI, on the trilateral cooperation on the environmental impact of renewable development. 

With more than 1,400 Members and 17,000 experts, IUCN is a global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. That includes on renewable energy, where IUCN is leading biodiversity monitoring efforts at significant wind farms in the North Sea, is partnering with the Renewable Grid Initiative on renewable energy and electrical grids, and has authored numerous studies on how to assess biodiversity impacts for wind and solar developments, spatial planning for wind and solar developments, and how to enhance biodiversity opportunities at wind and solar projects.