This WG is devoted to advancing knowledge and supporting policy discussions on the protection of the marine environment in the context of offshore renewable energy developments (OREDs), with a focus on offshore wind energy. This includes developing an understanding of coastal community perspectives in this context.

The scope of this internal WG is wide and relevant to all intergovernmental processes that ACOPS is accredited with, provided that they consider OREDs. It has so far involved five broad areas of research and interventions:
(1) Governance: Global and regional governance framework for offshore wind
(2) Effects: Impact of offshore wind on the marine environment;
(3) Coastal communities: Local perspectives on offshore wind development, including the level of social acceptance;
(4) ESG – ‘E’ in ESG and the offshore wind industry

A number of contributions based on this work were made in intergovernmental processes on the basis of the work of this body, in particular OSPAR.

From 2023 to 2024, ACOPS received a research grant from the Renewable Grid Initiative (RGI) to advance knowledge and inform policy discussions on protecting the marine environment from the impacts of offshore wind development, in support of RGI’s work within the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature (OCEaN).

This section maps the legal and institutional governance framework for offshore wind to understand the relationship between institutions and their role in protecting the marine environment in the context of offshore wind and grid developments. 

Through a holistic overview of the governance landscape on these matters, ACOPS highlights key guidance and recent developments in legal regulations regarding offshore wind.

• Overall Governance Overview – Issue 0: 

Figure 0.1 – International and regional legal and institutional architecture of ocean governance on offshore wind developments and the protection of the marine environment.

This representation is designed from the centre out; the centre provides the higher norms that regional and domestic levels must comply with. It is centred on competent intergovernmental institutions and their regulatory and/or policy-advising mandates, with a focus on those which have direct mandate to regulate offshore wind development and/or associate activities. Cooperation initiatives at a sub-basin level such as the Greater North Sea Basin Initiative (GNSBI) are not included. Important institutions for private norm setting in the industry (e.g. insurance and ISO standards) are also not included for the same reasons. Institutions from the climate change regime are not included despite their relevance to the development of OWDs due to their different focus. As a final note: the three regional seas’ rings are alternative as they only apply in their respective sea basin.

Figure 0.2 – European Regulations for Offshore Wind Developments and the Protection of the Marine Environment.

The monitoring of international legal developments and trends was carried out through 8 research notes:

• Permitting – Issue 1
  
• EIAs – Issue 2
• Endangered species – Issue 3
• MSP – Issue 4
• Survey and monitoring – Issue 5
• Mitigation-  Issue 6

Legal definitions of environmental concepts:

We sought to better under understand the status of the scientific literature on actual and potential environmental effects from offshore wind developments. Using a structured classification approach, this analysis highlights both the causes and consequences of these impacts on specific ecosystems and species, such as sea birds, to minimise potential risks and outline mitigation and restoration measures. 

Environmental pressures – ACOPS Consolidation:

We also compiled and consolidated lists of endangered species under international law and regional conventions applicable in the Northeast Atlantic, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. 

Endangered and threatened species under international law and three regional sea conventions – ACOPS Consolidation : 

This section explores local community perspectives on offshore wind developments. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews and observational methods, it maps key insights to support socially responsive planning. One slide presents overarching insights across all sites, while the remaining slides focus on findings specific to each location.

Roses, Spain

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