Nature Positive Role of the Offshore Wind Sector

2.5 Resource exploitation 2.6 Greenhouse gas emissionsOffshore wind makes little use of water and other resources in their direct operations. In fact, offshore wind power stands out as one of the lowest water-consuming energy sources, in contrast to water-intensive thermal power, natural gas or nuclear plants, where significant quantities of water are needed for cooling processes.111,112 This is a significant advantage, especially as the energy sector accounts for at least 10% of global freshwater use,113 at a time when water scarcity is a rising concern due to climate change and population growth. However, sourcing minerals for offshore wind components requires the extraction of a large amount of water. Furthermore, a wide range of materials is required to produce machinery and equipment for construction, maintenance and decommissioning activities. The World Resources Institute found that 16% of critical mineral mines are in highly water-stressed areas, and in these locations, at least 40% of water supply is required each year to meet existing demand.114 Consequently, upstream actions and tightened collaboration with suppliers to mitigate resource use are crucial as offshore wind companies evaluate their nature-related impacts. Wind power is one of the cleanest energy sources, with a carbon footprint 99% smaller than coal-fired power plants, 92-98% smaller than natural gas and over 75% smaller than solar.115 However, the input industry has a high carbon footprint, including GHG emissions from direct production processes (e.g. steel and concrete production), energy use from upstream industrial processes (e.g. mining extraction and production and equipment operation), emissions during installation (transport and assembly), and supporting services such as service vessels and ports operations. Together with the Carbon Trust, a group of leading offshore wind developers has launched new industry guidance on how to measure the full carbon footprint of offshore wind farms.116 The new methodology intends to improve comparabilityand transparency across the industry and help developers identify opportunities to reduce emissions further. Overall, the offshore wind sector is making significant strides in addressing its impacts on nature, especially the ocean, where innovation is accelerating rapidly. While the industry must continue to consider its nature-related impacts, it is important to recognize that offshore wind provides a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. Fossil fuels could pose more significant environmental risks, including a large carbon footprint, higher mining requirements, seabed disturbance, continuous noise from seismic activities and drilling, and incidents such as oil spills. Increasing offshore wind capacity is critical for the energy transition and must be carried out with sensitivity to nature impacts and dependencies. Offshore wind is one of the lowest water-consuming and carbon- emitting energy sources, yet the sector needs to address water use and GHG emissions in their supply chain. Nature Positive: Role of the Offshore Wind Sector 23