Spatial planning tools to ensure nature-safe nature-positive renewable energy development – AVISTEP and IBAT
Project overview
BirdLife International leads the development of the Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning (AVISTEP) with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ABD) and DEG Impulse and collaborates in the development of the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) with other members of the IBAT Alliance; UNEP-WCMC, IUCN, and Conservation International.
IBAT hosts key global biodiversity datasets; the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas (WDKBA) and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. These datasets help identify where renewable energy developments intersect with protected and conserved areas, the most important areas for the persistence of biodiversity (Key Biodiversity Areas - KBAs) and threatened species. AVISTEP provides a detailed spatial assessment of avian sensitivity in relation to different types of energy infrastructure - wind (both on- and offshore), photovoltaic (PV) solar, and overhead power lines (transition and distribution).
IBAT[1] and AVISTEP[2] help guide developers, financiers and governments in avoiding ecologically sensitive areas and in minimizing environmental risks. By enabling more responsible and efficient infrastructure development, this approach towards biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning demonstrates how biodiversity protection and renewable energy growth can be mutually reinforcing.
Approach
This approach adopts a proactive and science-based strategy to renewable energy development, addressing biodiversity risks early in the planning life cycle. Recognizing that the global energy transition will require significant land and sea areas for wind, solar and powerline expansion, the project integrates biodiversity considerations at the spatial planning stage to avoid conflict and ecological harm.[3] Key features of the approach include:
- Early screening and spatial prioritization: Identifies areas with threatened species, sensitive ecosystems or high avian vulnerability – prioritizing avoidance and early mitigation planning.
- Embedded in national policy: AVISTEP is now part of national renewable energy strategies in a number of countries, including Vietnam and Uzbekistan, influencing strategic environmental assessments (SEAs), environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and broader infrastructure policy.
- Embedded in corporate frameworks and standards: IBAT and the datasets within IBAT are now referenced in multiple nature-related frameworks and standards including the Taskforce on Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) where IBAT is suggested/recommended to support materiality assessments and site prioritization.
This nature-safe planning model directly supports the synergistic achievement of climate, biodiversity and development goals, as outlined in the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.
Business and economic value
This approach creates significant value by bridging a critical gap between renewable energy development and biodiversity protection – an area often overlooked due to regulatory, financial and operational constraints. By providing a practical, science-based framework, it enables governments, developers and financiers to identify and avoid ecologically sensitive areas early in the planning process. This upfront clarity reduces the risk of project delays, costly mitigation, and reputational or regulatory setbacks.
Directing development towards low-risk areas can result in faster permitting, improved investor confidence and a clearer path to long-term project viability. Governments benefit from transparent, data-driven planning that aligns with national biodiversity and energy goals, while communities gain from more responsible development and greater opportunities for consultation – enhancing trust and social licence to operate. Avoiding high-impact zones from the outset also lowers the long-term costs and complexity of environmental management, making renewable expansion more efficient and sustainable.[4]
The tools at the core of this approach are scalable and widely applicable. IBAT is available globally, while AVISTEP, with a development cost of roughly $300,000 per country, has already been successfully developed for Egypt, Kenya, India, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam and more countries are added every year.
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