OCEaN Public Statement
To meet increasing decarbonisation targets, renewable energy capacity needs to be scaled up urgently. Members of the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN) are committed to addressing the climate and biodiversity crises together through environmentally sound solutions for deploying offshore wind energy and subsea electricity grids.
A sustainable energy system, in which increasing shares of offshore renewables play a key role, needs to respect marine biodiversity, in line with the mitigation hierarchy as well as protection and conservation measures. Offshore energy infrastructure, therefore, should be planned long-term and based on ecosystem-based maritime spatial planning, taking into account cumulative environmental impacts at sea basin scale. Through collaborative actions, across borders and sectors, it is possible to develop solutions beneficial for nature, the climate and our economy.
The interlinkages between achieving the climate targets through the decarbonisation of the energy system and nature protection need to be considered in upcoming European discussions and decisions on offshore wind energy. This includes the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, the adoption of the European Climate Law, the implementation of the European Commission’s (EC) Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and of Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy (ORE) as well as the associated debates at the European Parliament.
The signatories of this statement include OCEaN members and other supporting organisations.
Statement signatories as of 6th July 2021
