
Science and Innovation
Habitat-friendly renewable energy
Switching to renewable energy will slow the warming of the Earth, reduce deforestation, desertification, erosion and flooding, as well as diminish disastrous fossil fuel spills in our oceans and watersheds and invisible but deadly methane leaks into our atmosphere.
With tremendous wind, solar, hydro and biomass potential, as well as the longest coastline in the world and some of the highest tides, Canada is home to significant renewable energy reserves. We can make renewable energy Canada’s source of power, creating jobs at home and expertise to export. It is possible.
But like all energy projects, there is potential for conflict with nature. WWF-Canada is pioneering approaches to renewable energy deployment that is habitat friendly for every energy type: on land, in freshwater, marine and Arctic environments
Mapping our energy potential
We are also demonstrating that habitat-friendly renewable energy is feasible in harsh environments by working to transition three Arctic communities away from diesel, and supporting the development of habitat-friendly tidal power generation in the Bay of Fundy, which has the highest tides in the world.
What is habitat-friendly renewable energy?
We need a system that takes species and biodiversity into account before money and countless hours are invested. We need certainty early in the development process so renewable energy projects can move ahead quickly without harmful impacts on the environment. Timely action is needed to avoid and reduce the wide-ranging impacts of climate change.To ensure at the outset that renewable energy projects are habitat friendly, WWF-Canada has adopted a robust conservation framework to identify and evaluate biodiversity concerns as well as community needs.
Putting it all together
Once accounted for, these values can be mapped and paired with renewable reserves – to quickly and clearly see where energy potential is high and impact on environment or communities is low.In some cases, a “critical” weighting could be applied: for example, for wind, solar and offshore wind in bird sanctuaries; for hydro, wind and solar in wildlife areas and national parks; for tidal where biodiversity is known to be rare, threatened or highly sensitive to disturbance; and in places where legal protections are already in place.
This habitat-friendly renewable energy approach allows investors and developers to analyze their proposed landscape for species at risk, determine if they are biodiversity hotspots or if they’re of cultural significance for Indigenous or other peoples – and then, before investing further, determine if they should select another less harmful and conflict-prone area that also has significant renewable energy reserves.

Putting it to the test
We put this tool to the test in New Brunswick and the Bay of Fundy, a large region with ample data and resources, as well as shifting demands and options in the energy mix.We identified key ecological values, determined their relative sensitivity to six types of renewable energy (solar, on- and offshore wind, tidal, biomass and hydro), and mapped hotspots of biodiversity within the Saint John River and Bay of Fundy regions.
You can now see the results of those efforts in our first-pass tool for informed decision making on habitat-friendly renewable energy.

WWF Renewable Energy News
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Delays in renewable-energy deployment will prove costly to Arctic communities
Millions in savings can be achieved, computer modelling confirms
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New tool eases habitat-friendly renewable energy development
WWF-Canada interactive map helps with regional site selection to maximize high energy potential and minimize conflict with nature
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Canada takes crucial step in fight against climate change
Now that MPs have ratified the Paris Agreement, it’s time to implement it to protect the Arctic, ocean and freshwater ecosystems Canadians depend on
Renewable Energy in the WWF Blog
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Northern inspiration for action on climate change
How a diesel-powered community in the Arctic is shifting to renewable energy
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17 reasons 2017 is going to be a great year for the planet (really!)
Put down the planetary pessimism and take a big dose of conservation optimism instead: the new year will bring major conservation gains. Here are the most important ones.
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New tool prevents conflict between wildlife and renewable energy. Here’s how
For the first time in Canada, renewable resource potential and conservation concerns assessed side by side.