Biodiversity offsets for offshore wind farm projects: The current situation in Europe

摘要: The European Union׳s energy policy aims to increase the proportion of derived from renewable sources in Europe. Marine energy, offshore wind especially, contributes mix. Offshore farms appear be clean, and are supported by governments NGOs as a way reduce use conventional resources thus decrease greenhouse gas emissions. However, developing infrastructure marine areas can impact ecosystems. directives ask farm developers carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) including mitigation hierarchy, i.e. envisaging measures that would avoid, reduce, if possible offset significant adverse effects on ecosystems human activities. This paper reviews EIA reports seven countries is focused impacts open water environment. According reports, have been taken for avoiding reducing impacts, so there should no negative residual hence need offsets. But hierarchy ecological seems incompletely implemented, because it unlikely impacts. proposes some technical explanations, followed governance social absence biodiversity