Offshore wind mitigation / compensation measures

OSPAR Contracting Parties have significant ambitions for offshore wind development. The scale of development that is likely to result from that ambition has the potential to have a significant impact on marine birds across the OSPAR Maritime Area. This action should help Contracting Parties in taking steps to minimize impacts through guidance on best approaches to mitigation in a coherent manner that meets a consistent standard.

This action will develop guidelines for:

• mitigation measures that reduce the impact of offshore wind development, operations, and decommissioning on marine birds.
• compensatory measures that may be needed to offset the impact of offshore wind development on marine birds.

It will take into account ongoing work within OSPAR and independently by Contracting Parties and the offshore wind industry to look a cumulative effects, mitigation and compensation. The outcomes of this action can be used to identify any mitigation or compensatory measures that need to be addressed through OSPAR measures or action.

For further information on OSPAR’s work on marine renewables https://www.ospar.org/work-areas/eiha/offshore-renewables