Reconciling Renewable Energy Production and Nature in the Alps
The growing demand for renewable energy (RE) will increase the pressure on the Alpine environment. It will strongly impact land use patterns, ecological connectivity and biodiversity. Both the demand for renewable energy and the need for the conservation of biodiversity, soil, and connectivity transcend national borders. A transnational dialogue to address multiple environmental objectives, interdependences and trade-offs between various ecosystem services, and conflicting priorities, is urgently needed. The projects' core objective is to develop tools and an integrated strategy for renewable energy production, sustainable land use systems as well as the conservation of biodiversity and soil across the Alpine region, so as to support the implementation of relevant EU Directives. It will valorise Alpine biodiversity, land use patterns and related ecosystem services, and model the carrying capacity of the Alpine ecosystems with respect to all aspects of RE production and consumption.