A Natural Fit

The report 'A Natural Fit' addresses the increased land footprint of renewable energy compared to fossil fuels. It recommends the use of dual-land-use systems and the siting of energy infrastructure on degraded or marginal lands to avoid competition with food production and biodiversity conservation, while leveraging low-cost energy to support sustainable agriculture.

• The transition to renewable energy increases land demand compared to fossil fuels, creating potential conflicts with food production, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity conservation. This footprint is further expanded by the extraction and processing of critical minerals.
• In 2024, renewable energy represented 29.9% of global electricity generation and 46% of total installed power capacity, with new capacity additions exceeding 90%. Solar capacity specifically has been doubling every 3 years, with a record increase of 29% in 2024.
• To prevent land degradation, governments should site renewable energy on previously modified or degraded areas, such as reservoirs, canals, and abandoned agricultural land. Targeted siting of wind and solar on marginal land can actively reverse degradation by improving soil health and vegetation growth through wind protection or shading.

APA

Rosentreter,, S. J. W. (2025). A Natural Fit. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/renewable-energy-land-management

Chicago

Rosentreter,, Stefan Jungcurt,Lynn Wagner,Hillary. A Natural Fit. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/renewable-energy-land-management.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rosentreter, |first1=Stefan Jungcurt,Lynn Wagner,Hillary |title=A Natural Fit |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=28 November 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/renewable-energy-land-management |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rosentreter2025natural, author = {Rosentreter,, Stefan Jungcurt,Lynn Wagner,Hillary}, title = {{A Natural Fit}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/renewable-energy-land-management}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }