Rewilding our waters in an era of offshore wind
How to turn Britain’s offshore wind boom into a win for marine biodiversity and coastal communities.
With offshore wind set to expand rapidly in coming years, Britain must not miss today’s narrow window to reverse the decline of its marine life and kickstart a transition to wilder seas. Our research report shows that while the growth of this sector may be inevitable, our influence over its ecological and social legacy is not.
We lay out a vision for clean energy which supports people and nature, and call on governments, industry, fisheries, coastal communities and marine restoration practitioners to work together to co-design a new approach to offshore wind development.
“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to show that clean energy, thriving coastal communities and healthy seas can go hand-in-hand.”
Kevin Cumming
Rewilding Director at Rewilding Britain
Globally, an estimated 5,000 new turbines will need to be installed each year until 2050 to meet climate targets, collectively occupying more than 500,000km² of ocean. Britain is set to reshape vast areas of our seas. Here in Britain, UK climate targets have set out a fourfold increase in offshore wind development to 50GW by 2030, and doubling to 100GW by 2050.
The scale of this expansion means decisions taken today will shape our seas for generations. While industrialising parts of our seas may be inevitable, how it happens is not. We have a unique opportunity to prove that clean energy, thriving coastal communities and healthy seas can go hand in hand.
If we get this wrong, we risk industrialising our seas and causing impacts which could be catastrophic for already pressured marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
About the research report
Commissioned by Rewilding Britain and carried out by Pelagos, the research has done a deep dive into the impacts – positive and negative – of offshore wind farms on species, habitats, natural processes and communities – so that we can identify the risks to minimise and the opportunities to seize.
It’s accompanied by a policy brief with key recommendations for decision makers and a practitioner brief with take-aways for marine restoration specialists.
Download the research report
Download pdf
Offshore wind — what’s the problem?
If done badly, we risk industrialising our seas while aggravating the problems that have already pushed marine wildlife and many coastal communities into decline.
-
5,000
new offshore wind turbines must be installed each year to meet global climate goals
-
30%
of expenditure on offshore wind construction currently stays within the UK
-
4,000
seabirds are predicted to be killed by the controversial Berwick Bank offshore wind development in its first year
-
92%
of seagrass meadows have already been lost in Britain
Ecological impacts
Turbine construction severely disrupts marine ecosystems, impacting fish species like cod, and plaice, alongside birds such as the much-loved common guillemot and northern fulmar. While operational wind farms can offer ecological enhancement by acting as de facto ‘marine protected areas’ thanks to removal of pressures such as bottom trawling from the area, critical data is still lacking on the unique challenges of decommissioning.
Socio-economic impacts
Offshore wind farms reshape coastal economies, culture, and identity by altering seascapes, though their economic benefits – particularly jobs and income – are currently often overstated. Construction is highly disruptive, and only 30% of expenditure currently stays within the UK. Meaningful planning and investment are necessary to maximise these benefits for local communities and to ensure that the very real economic opportunities offered by offshore wind actually benefit them.
The question is whether offshore wind becomes another industrial revolution that extracts wealth from communities and nature, or instead actively supports and restores both.
What could good look like?
Our research report argues that rewilding must be built into planning for offshore wind developments, with a key focus on ensuring that coastal communities and marine nature share in benefits rather than suffering negative impacts. It highlights three key solutions:
- Integrate marine rewilding in development plans so clean energy can serve as a vital catalyst for regenerating ecosystems and communities, including economic benefits for well-managed fisheries.
- Keep more benefits in coastal communities by creating stronger community ownership and investment to ensure local people share in the wealth generated in their waters.
- Plan offshore wind around people and nature together through a co-design approach that brings together government, industry, fishers, conservationists and coastal communities to shape the future of Britain’s seas and minimise negative impacts.
Decades of onshore renewable development show how poorly planned projects, weak community benefit arrangements and lack of consideration from industry have often undermined public trust and limited positive outcomes. The report argues that offshore wind should aspire to something better.
Crucially, our research finds that marine rewilding and offshore wind need not be competing objectives. While offshore wind developments can have significant ecological impacts, integrating marine restoration and rewilding into project design and planning from the outset could transform the sector into a catalyst for large-scale recovery of marine habitats and species, as well as coastal community and economic regeneration.
We all share a responsibility to demand marine rewilding alongside wind energy expansion. By coming together to act now, we can drive the bold changes required to achieve healthier seas for future generations.
For practitioners
Find out how marine restoration practitioners can be part of the picture and join us in demanding better from the sector, helping to scale up marine rewilding.
Download the practitioner brief
For policy makers
Read our policy recommendations for how to build rewilding into planning for offshore wind developments, from strategic siting to community engagement.
Download the policy brief
For everyone
With your help, we can rewild more of Britain’s coasts and ocean floors, empower communities, and inspire global change.
Support our marine rewilding work
