WG 2 Environmental Co-existence

WG2 focuses on the mitigation of the environmental impacts of offshore energy projects. Members cooperate to identify best practices for co-existence with marine ecosystems and wildlife, seek innovative solutions for biodiversity preservation and minimize ecological disruption.​

Objective: Identify planning bottlenecks and knowledge gaps for micro siting of energy infrastructure in the Black Sea

Discussion points:

• Map environmental risks in the Black Sea region related to offshore wind energy in marine protected areas;
• Identifying bottlenecks and knowledge gaps specific to zoning in the Black Sea region;
• Explore data collection methodologies on marine biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystems;
• Develop standardized methods for assessing the potential ecological impact of offshore wind projects.
• Discuss strategies for minimizing the negative effects on marine ecosystems;
• Enhance biodiversity conservation within and around offshore wind projects.
• Prepare for habitat restoration and enhancement initiatives;
• Design protocols for ongoing monitoring of ecological conditions post-construction.
• Implement adaptive management strategies to address unforeseen ecological impacts;
• List criteria for zoning procedures addressing potential conflicts with other maritime activities;
• Address availability of reliable data and provide recommendations for data sources;
• Foster international cooperation on shared maritime spaces;
• Enhance inclusive stakeholder engagement in the maritime spatial planning process

Anticipated outputs:

• Guidelines for maritime spatial planning and environment derisking for offshore wind deployment in the Black Sea