EU publications

Key policy briefs and reports published or sponsored by the EC

Science for environment policy: European forests for biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation
This Future Brief (2021) brings together the latest evidence on the ability of Europe’s forests to support biodiversity while removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere, providing ecosystem services necessary for climate adaptation and our well-being, and contributing to the bioeconomy and reduction in use of fossil fuels.

The vital role of nature-based solutions in a nature positive economy
This Commission report (2022) is a first step in addressing knowledge gaps in the potential economic benefits of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and the challenges facing NatureBased Enterprises (NBE).

Evaluating the impact of nature-based solutions: A summary for policy makers
This Commission publication (2021) provides a summary of key principles for developing an impact evaluation framework for nature-based solutions.

Reaping the benefits of healthy soils, for food, people, nature and the climate
CORDIS results pack (2021) on soil health: A thematic collection of innovative EU-funded research results.

Unlocking nature’s potential
CORDIS Results Pack (2020) on nature-based solutions: A thematic collection of innovative EU-funded research results.

The use of woody biomass for energy production in the EU
This JRC report (2021) on the use of forest biomass for energy production was initiated under the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Its purpose is to inform EU climate and energy policies governing the sustainable use of forest biomass for energy production, and the accounting of associated carbon impacts.

Potential impacts of bioenergy developments on habitats and species protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives
This report (2020) prepared for the Commission by external experts aims to review and analyse the potential impacts of bioenergy developments on habitats and species protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives.

Potential impacts of solar, geothermal and ocean energy on habitats and species protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives
This report (2020) prepared for the Commission by external experts aims to review the possible impacts of solar energy, ocean energy (tidal and wave) and geothermal energy on habitats and species protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives.

Responsible and sustainable sourcing of battery raw materials
This JRC report (2020) contains insights from hotspot analysis, company disclosures and field research on responsible and sustainable sourcing of battery raw materials.

Analysis of material recovery from silicon photovoltaic panels
This JRC report (2016) describes the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to analyse the innovative process developed within the "Full Recovery End of Life Photovoltaic" (FRELP) project under the European “LIFE” programme.

CCS in a biodiversity and land use perspective
This report (2022) was prepared on behalf of the Advisory Council of the European Zero Emission Technology and Innovation Platform, which advises the European Commission on Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage Technologies and associated policies.

Agri-photovoltaics (Agri-PV): how multi-land use can help deliver sustainable energy and food
This JRC report (2022) emphasises the need to promote the use of Agri-photovoltaics in agriculture, and their potential as a win-win for renewables, agriculture and other sustainability dimensions.

European Green Deal Investment Plan
This briefing (April 2020) on the European Green Deal Investment Plan was prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work.

New EU regulatory framework for batteries: setting sustainability requirements
This briefing (March 2022, EU legislation in progress) on a new EU regulatory framework for batteries was prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work.

Certification of carbon removals
This briefing (November 2022, pre-legislative synthesis) on the Commission's forthcoming initiative on carbon removal certification was prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work.

UN publications

Energy and land use: working paper for the Global Land Outlook
This UNCCD paper (2017) identifies and compares the land impact of all terrestrial energy forms.

Nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation
This UNEP report (2021) assesses the current state of knowledge on the size of the contribution nature-based solutions can make and the types of action they will involve.

Other publications

Biodiversity and climate change
Report (2021) on the scientific outcome of the IPBES-IPCC co-sponsored workshop on biodiversity and climate change.

Global warming of 1.5°C
IPCC special report (2018) on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways.

Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
This Working Group II contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (2022) assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels.

Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change
This Working Group III contribution to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (2022) assesses literature on the scientific, technological, environmental, economic and social aspects of mitigation of climate change.

Mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development
This joint report (2021) by IUCN and The Biodiversity Consultancy presents guidelines for project developers. It aims to define practical, evidence-based measures to mitigate the impacts of solar and wind projects on biodiversity.

Academic publications

The impacts of biofuel crops on local biodiversity: a global synthesis
In this study (2021) data was synthesised from 116 sources where a potential biofuel crop was grown to estimate how two measures of local biodiversity, species richness and total abundance, responded to different crops.

Biodiversity impacts of bioenergy crop production: a state-of-the-art review
This study (2013) presents a comprehensive review of published impacts of bioenergy crop production on biodiversity, evaluates the drivers and pressures of biodiversity change and summarises current trends and impacts.

Global Biodiversity Implications of Alternative Electrification Strategies Under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways
This study (2021) explores the potential biodiversity implications of alternative future global electrification pathways as depicted under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways.

Global change synergies and trade-offs between renewable energy and biodiversity
This study (2015) compares core areas identified for the expansion of the global protected area network with the renewable energy potential available from land-based solar photovoltaic, wind energy and bioenergy.

Environmental co-benefits and adverse side-effects of alternative power sector decarbonisation strategies
This Nature study (2019) uses integrated assessment models and LCA to compare alternative technology choices in power sector decarbonization pathways in terms of non-climate environmental impacts.

Cleaning after solar panels: applying a circular outlook to clean energy research
This is an in-depth study (2022) of the link between renewable technology adoption and the resulting waste.

Research and development priorities for silicon photovoltaic module recycling to support a circular economy
This Nature Energy Perspective (2020) includes an assessment of the global status of practice and knowledge for end-of-life management for solar PV modules, as well as recommendations for research and development to reduce recycling costs and environmental impacts compared to disposal while maximizing material recovery.

Agrivoltaics provide mutual benefits across the food–energy–water nexus in drylands
This Nature Sustainability study (2019) investigates a novel approach to build climate resilience in renewable energy and food production and provide synergistic benefits.

Predicted wind and solar energy expansion has minimal overlap with multiple conservation priorities across global regions
This study (2022) indicates that, while conflicts between renewables (wind and solar PV) and protected areas inevitably do occur, they would not significantly affect area-based conservation targets if deployed with appropriate policy and regulatory controls.

Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity
This Nature communication (2020) maps mining areas for minerals required for RE technologies, and assesses their spatial coincidence with biodiversity conservation sites and priorities.

Renewable energy development threatens many globally important biodiversity areas
This study (2020) assesses the extent of current and likely future renewable energy infrastructure associated with onshore wind, hydropower and solar photovoltaic, within three important conservation areas: protected areas (PAs), Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and Earth's remaining wilderness.

Facilitating Policy Responses for Renewable Energy and Biodiversity
This paper (2021) discusses how trade-offs between RE expansion and biodiversity can be reduced by building a strong evidence base.

Natural climate solutions
This study (2017) shows that natural climate solutions can provide over one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2 °C.

Biomass-based negative emissions difficult to reconcile with planetary boundaries
This Nature Climate Change article (2018) shows that large-scale BECCS would most likely steer the Earth system closer to the planetary boundary (PB) for freshwater use and lead to further transgression of the PBs for land-system change, biosphere integrity and biogeochemical flows.

Land-based negative emissions: risks for climate mitigation and impacts on sustainable development
This publication (2018) cautions against embarking on pathways that deploy large amounts of future NETs. This could lead to overly lenient near-term targets and greatly overshoot the carbon budget without a way to undo the damage.

Negative-emissions technology portfolios to meet the 1.5 °C target
This study (2021) presents a comprehensive framework integrating NETs’ critical performance aspects of feasibility, effectiveness, and side impacts, to define the optimal technology mix within realistic outlooks.

The trouble with negative emissions
This study (2016) cautions that reliance on NETs for climate change mitigation risks locking society into a high-temperature pathway.

Potentially dangerous consequences for biodiversity of solar geoengineering implementation and termination
This Nature Ecology & Evolution study (2018) assesses the potential effects of solar geoengineering on biodiversity.

Carbon-Reduction Plans Rely on Tech That Doesn’t Exist
This article (2022) cautions that the Integrated Assessment Models created by researchers for the IPCC rely heavily on technologies that don't yet exist, such as ways to store carbon in the ground safely, permanently and affordably.