A Natural Fit

The report examines the land-use intensity of various renewable energy sources and proposes dual-land-use systems—such as agrivoltaics and ecovoltaics—to mitigate land degradation and enhance biodiversity and food security. It emphasizes the need for cross-sectoral policy coordination, inclusive governance, and targeted finance to ensure the energy transition does not compromise land health or local livelihoods.

• Renewable energy sources generally have a higher land-use intensity of energy (LUIE) than fossil fuels. For example, solar power requires twice the land of coal-fired electricity, and wind power can require up to 12 times more, although much of the land in wind farms remains available for other uses.
• Dual-land-use systems can create synergies between energy and land health. Agrivoltaics (combining solar with agriculture) can improve water-use efficiency by 20%–47% and reduce air and soil temperatures by 1°C–4°C, while ecovoltaics use ecological principles to protect biodiversity and enhance ecosystem services.
• The transition to renewable energy relies on critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements), the mining of which can cause deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution, and may violate Indigenous human and cultural rights.
• Productive Uses of Renewable Energy (PURE) can significantly improve rural livelihoods and land-use efficiency. Solar-powered irrigation and cold storage can reduce post-harvest losses by 30% to 40% and increase farm incomes, as seen in case studies from India, Kenya, and Egypt.
• Modern bioenergy can support land restoration if feedstocks are sourced from invasive species or cultivated on marginal land. For instance, in South Africa, converting invasive species biomass into pellets can save between 70-80 m3 and 105-125 m3 of water per tonne of pellets.
• Large-scale renewable energy projects often lead to conflicts over land tenure and the failure to obtain Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from Indigenous and local communities, sometimes resulting in physical displacement.
• Effective integration of renewable energy and sustainable land management requires four policy pillars: inter-ministerial coordination, regulatory frameworks (including land tenure legislation), financial mechanisms (such as tax exemptions), and community-led co-design.
• The report recommends that countries use the land degradation neutrality (LDN) response hierarchy—avoid, reduce, and reverse—to site energy projects, prioritizing rooftops, infrastructure, and degraded lands over pristine or productive land.

APA

Jungcurt, S., Wagner, L., & Rosentreter, H. (2025). A Natural Fit. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/renewable-energy-land-management.pdf

Chicago

Jungcurt, Stefan, Lynn Wagner, and Hillary Rosentreter. A Natural Fit. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/renewable-energy-land-management.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jungcurt |first1=Stefan |last2=Wagner |first2=Lynn |last3=Rosentreter |first3=Hillary |title=A Natural Fit |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=November 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/renewable-energy-land-management.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jungcurt2025natural, author = {Jungcurt, Stefan and Wagner, Lynn and Rosentreter, Hillary}, title = {{A Natural Fit}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2025-11/renewable-energy-land-management.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }