Monitoring Biodiversity

As offshore wind development accelerates, it is important to find solutions to ensure that this development has a positive impact on nature and local communities. Offshore wind holds great promise for decarbonising the energy system. However, it also poses unique challenges, particularly concerning its impact on the marine environment. Standardised, comparable, and scientifically rigorous biodiversity monitoring is essential to understand and mitigate these impacts, and also support the identification of ecosystem restoration measures. It also ensures that offshore wind can claim to contribute to Nature- and People-Positive outcomes.

Consistent and science-based monitoring practices reinforce the principle of dual materiality, applied in corporate sustainability reporting, and are fundamental to supporting public decision-making.

The GINGR Biodiversity Monitoring Navigator is a response to this need. It provides a comprehensive guide to marine biodiversity monitoring to assist project developers, financiers, and policymakers in creating and maintaining Nature-Positive offshore wind projects. The Navigator provides tools for monitoring, evaluating, and adapting measures to protect marine ecosystems. It emphasises the collaborative, cross-disciplinary approaches that are essential for informed decision-making and for achieving both conservation and energy objectives.

The document provides detailed guidance on monitoring methods, key biodiversity indicators, and data-sharing practices. By adhering to these standards, stakeholders in the offshore wind industry can better understand, minimise, and manage their ecological footprint. Through transparent and accessible data, they can also help shape a global standard that promotes consistency, comparability, and continuous improvement across the sector.

By embedding biodiversity at the heart of energy planning, we can advance a future where renewable energy development supports both planetary and human well-being.

Together with this paper, we provide a GINGR Navigator checklist to support the development of a monitoring plan for offshore wind development.