Offshore wind power and biodiversity: a report “to combine decarbonisation and conservation”

"For our decision-makers, the challenge of combining the urgent need to decarbonise our energy systems with the preservation of marine ecosystems is immense. To meet this challenge, it is essential that they draw on the best possible scientific knowledge," said François Houllier, General Director of the French research institute Ifremer, during the presentation of the summary of the scientific assessment carried out by the CNRS and Ifremer on the effects of offshore wind farms on biodiversity, on 30 June 2026.

This “necessary, indeed essential” work was carried out by 25 researchers from 13 research institutions over a period of more than two years. The review, produced following a request to the two organisations by the ministries responsible for Energy, Ecology and the Sea, is based on an analysis of more than 4,500 publications, including 411 articles selected for this document.

In its analysis, described as “the most detailed in the world”, the group examined ten pressures exerted by offshore wind farms, including noise and chemical impacts, as well as habitat alteration…