Recently, two papers written by the science team of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) China Program were published in the comprehensive academic journalBiodiversity Sciencesecond issue of 2024 - “Ecological impacts of centralized large-scale photovoltaics and wind farms: progress and prospects” and “Biodiversity credits: Concepts, principles, transactions and challenges”.

Driven by the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, China’s renewable energy sector is gaining strong momentum. However, the extensive development of photovoltaics and wind power has sparked concerns regarding its ecological impacts, yet a systematic review of research in this area is lacking. Against this backdrop, a paper titled “Ecological impacts of centralized large-scale photovoltaics and wind farms: progress and prospects,” authored by the TNC China Program’s science team, offers an overview of both China and international studies on the environmental factors, species diversity, and ecosystem services affected by centralized photovoltaic and wind power installations. The article identifies gaps in current research and proposes relevant research suggestions, including the refinement and standardization of survey methods, adoption of cutting-edge ecological survey and assessment techniques, and bolstering systematic impact studies at the species and ecosystem levels. Furthermore, it advocates for prioritizing ecological baseline surveys and biodiversity assessments during the early stage of photovoltaic and wind power planning alongside the formulation of corresponding strategies to mitigate ecological impacts.

Paper link: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/CN/10.17520/biods.2023212

Research indicates a staggering annual gap of up to $700 billion in global biodiversity conservation funding. To address this shortfall and halt global biodiversity loss, the concept of biodiversity credits, built upon carbon credits, have emerged. Authored by the TNC China program’s science team, the paper “Biodiversity credits: Concepts, principles, transactions and challenges,” elucidates the definition and related concepts of biodiversity credits. Unlike biodiversity offsets, which are premised on biodiversity loss, biodiversity credits are a measurable, traceable, and tradable unit, intended for investment in projects with a net positive impact on biodiversity, such as species and their habitats, ecosystems, and the natural environment.

Figure 1: Biodiversity offsets and biodiversity credits to achieve corporate nature-positive goals (Adapted from Milner-Gulland et al. (2021) and Koh et al. (2022)).

The article also reviews the principles, accounting methods, and practical cases of trading biodiversity credits. It analyzes the problems and challenges encountered in the establishment of biodiversity credit markets, and aims to develop a comprehensive biodiversity credit market and transaction system in the future to facilitate tangible biodiversity benefits.

Article link: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/CN/10.17520/biods.2023300

The cover ofBiodiversity Sciencesecond issue of 2024

Both papers were published inBiodiversity Sciencesecond issue of 2024.Biodiversity Sciencewas founded in 1993 and is one of the top academic journals in the field of biodiversity research. It is supervised by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and hosted by the Biodiversity Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Botanical Society of China, the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.