Offshore wind is a solvable problem for birds. Climate change status quo is not.

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to birds everywhere. There’s no question that we must do everything we can to reverse climate change and ensure a sustainable future for birds, people, and the planet. This is why the National Audubon Society was sure to have a presence at Climate Week NYC, one of the largest gatherings of global leaders, environmental organizations, business partners and others dedicated to reducing the effects of climate change on our world. 

At this year's Climate Week, we emphasized that doing everything we can means being creative, collaborating, and putting in the work to find decarbonization solutions that reduce emissions without compromising the health of birds, their habitats, and our communities. With this approach, we can make progress on climate change and biodiversity loss at the same time, and we can reverse the catastrophic decline of birds over the past 50 years. We call this goal “bending the bird curve.” 

Audubon is putting the full power of our hemispheric organization behind climate solutions. We’re focused on both preserving landscapes that store carbon naturally – known as natural climate solutions – and engaging on the rapid deployment of clean energy and transmission by using science to guide planning, bring unlikely partners together, and get projects completed quickly and responsibly. 

Offshore wind energy is a great example. It can generate substantial gigawatts of the clean power we need and help alleviate pressures from the clean energy transition on birds and their habitats. It also requires huge infrastructure with giant turbines. 

At Climate Week, I moderated a panel on the future of offshore wind alongside Greg Lampman, director of the Offshore Wind Program at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Marissa Knodel, senior advisor at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Emily Shumchenia, director of the Regional Wildlife Scientific Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC). 

With the right technology, offshore wind is a solvable problem for birds. The status quo of living with the climate crisis is not. 

Wind energy development is already taking off. Current U.S. goals are to install 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, and 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind energy by 2035. That’s enough to power over 33 million homes. As the buildout continues, we need more monitoring and research to better understand any potential impacts on birds and how to avoid and minimize those impacts. 

Audubon is leading this research and working with project developers on both coasts to ensure the best approaches are implemented. At our panel, we discussed what we currently know about the impact of wind turbines on birds and what information gaps we still need to fill. For example, under favorable conditions, migrating birds likely fly over the Gulf at altitudes much higher than wind turbines. Our Audubon Delta team is actively testing this notion now using multi-sensor geolocators to gather data on flight behavior for Prothonotary Warblers as they migrate across the Gulf of Mexico. This will provide new insights into how these birds use the airspace and respond to inclement weather. 

Panelists also discussed the impact on people. We need to make sure that projects include community input and that related economic benefits are available to people living in frontline coastal areas. Marissa Knodel spoke about the winnowing process that BOEM undergoes when identifying leasing areas, starting with a large area and convening intersectional task forces that include public feedback, environmental review, and tribal consultations, and focusing on smaller and smaller areas until a lease area is identified. 

Greg Lampman spoke of the need to balance the needs of environmental organizations and energy developers to find affordable and practical ways forward. To that end, Emily spoke of RWSC’s new mapping tool that collects and catalogues different kinds of research on wildlife and environmental impacts of offshore wind. The publicly available information combines input from federal and state agencies, developers, and environmental groups. 

As a leading conservation organization, Audubon is proud to be part of the community addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. At Climate Week, Audubon CEO Elizabeth Gray spoke on the mainstage at Climate Group’s Hub Live event discussing the work that Audubon and our partners are doing to extend the momentum of the Inflation Reduction Act—the most important climate legislation in U.S. history. “The IRA is a step forward,” she said. “We want a leap forward.”  

Achieving this kind of progress requires coordination at every level—from local efforts to international partnerships. I joined NYC Bird Alliance, BirdLife International, and Madison Square Park Conservancy for a morning bird walk. While observing American Redstarts, Common Yellowthroats, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in Madison Square Park, we talked about the different roles our organizations play in working towards a brighter future for both birds and people. I also took part in a visual program at Tibet House that celebrated The Birdsong Project and the power art has to inspire bird conservation. 

In January, Audubon will release a new report that dives into key aspects of wind turbine technology and the challenges and opportunities for responsibly building offshore wind. Building on our discussions at Climate Week NYC, the report will help us solve for climate while speaking for birds.