Green Party calls for exceptions in nature conservation for wind energy expansion

Germany’s Green Party is ready to accept exceptions to nature conservation in order to accelerate the expansion of wind farms, Valerie Höhne writes in Spiegel Online, citing a Green Party parliamentary group resolution. To offset those exceptions, the Greens are proposing protection programmes for species endangered by construction projects. According to the resolution, the Greens want to prevent individual animals from bringing entire construction projects to a standstill. Instead, land should be made available to fauna displaced by the destruction of habitats. The resolution states that exceptions to species protection measures are to be made possible in areas that have been designated for wind energy planning purposes. Interventions are "to be effectively compensated for in a place spatially related to the affected population," it adds.

State environment ministers recently decided a set of uniform species protection rules for birds to simplify approval procedures for wind parks. “This creates clarity and simplification for companies submitting applications, certainty for licensing authorities and shows clear boundaries where the protection of endangered species must have priority," said Priska Hinz, Chairwoman of the Conference of Environment Ministers and Hessian environment minister.