Approx. 10 minute read

It is well known that the UK and the world face not only a climate crisis, but a biodiversity crisis – and the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world with 1 in 6 species at risk of extinction. The drive to deliver clean energy, reduce carbon emissions, and hit net zero targets, are key in combatting climate change – which is a major factor driving the biodiversity crisis. Therefore, the new Government’s energy policies must reflect the intrinsic links between climate and biodiversity by making nature recovery a core principle of new energy growth.

This is especially important for Suffolk, where continued work on the electricity grid - proposed to support the transition to renewable energy - threatens nature recovery.

We understand that to progress toward net zero, improvements to existing infrastructure or other upgrades are essential, and that East Anglia is well placed to deliver both solar and off-shore renewable energy. But our message remains clear; at both project and policy level, we must tackle the biodiversity crisis alongside the climate crisis, and we must protect and enhance Suffolk’s wildlife and wild places at the same time as decarbonising our energy supplies. This is why we are looking to ensure that impacts to biodiversity are properly avoided, minimised, mitigated and compensated for, as well as considerable enhancement provided – fitting with nationally significant projects.

One of the first actions undertaken by the new Government following the 2024 General Election was the publication of Great British Energy Bill. The Bill will establish a publicly-owned company called Great British Energy (GB Energy), with the aim of accelerating investment in clean energy. The Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 25 July 2024 by the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. There remain many unanswered questions regarding the bill, which is currently at the committee stage.

What we do know is that the remit of GB Energy is broad, with five key functions proposed:

• Developing clean energy projects through its partnership with the Crown Estate
• Investing in and owning renewable energy projects, including both mature and emerging technology
• Incentivising local power through the Local Power Plan
• Help build clean energy supply chains in the UK
• Work with Great British Nuclear to deliver new nuclear projects.

Increasing the scale and pace at which renewable energy is delivered in the UK is essential to meeting the Government’s commitments to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050 – and GB Energy is a central part of the Government’s delivery plan.

The creation of GB Energy has potential positives for biodiversity, but only if it embeds protecting and restoring nature as a key principle. The Wildlife Trusts, including the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and local Wildlife Trusts, are pushing to make sure that GB Energy delivers a positive difference for nature alongside reaching net zero.

We are deeply concerned that a duty for nature and nature recovery is not currently included.

To ensure the delivery of energy infrastructure on land and sea at speed, action to deliver energy security, net zero, and nature’s recovery must happen in tandem. To achieve this, The Wildlife Trusts’ headline asks of GB Energy are similar to those for energy infrastructure and planning more broadly:

• GB Energy must have a net zero and nature recovery remit incorporating Environment Act targets
• Projects supported by GB Energy must meet environmental criteria that ensures contributions to Environment Act Targets, incentivising the early identification of environment issues and solutions to reduce costs and ensure fast delivery of energy project.
• There must be joined-up planning between energy infrastructure on land and in our seas. Developing infrastrucutre at sea may be out-of-sight, but will not enable the nature and climate crisis to be addressed together.

Only by adopting these principles will the Government and GB Energy be able to effectively tackle the climate and biodiversity crises together. RSWT with support from individual Trusts, including Suffolk Wildlife Trust, will develop further, specific areas to discuss with GB Energy with, asks relating to onshore and offshore issues.

Schemes we're engaging with in Suffolk
 

Here in Suffolk, we continue to engage with nationally significant energy infrastructure projects across the county. Within the first week of the new Westminster Government, Sunnica Energy Farm - a 2,500 acres solar farm on the Suffolk-Cambridgeshire border that will be the largest solar farm in the country when complete - was approved.

Electricity grid infrastructure improvement proposals, including off-shore connections, have had consultations this year and we have engaged with the Norwich to Tilbury onshore grid reinforcement scheme, as well as LionLink, Sea Link, and Nautilus off-shore connections, which, in the cases of LionLink and Nautilus, include connections to mainland Europe. 

Sunnica Energy Farm

During the planning process we worked with neighbouring Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, Natural England, and local authorities to strengthen the measures in the proposals for protecting and increasing nature. With the scheme being given the green light, the task now is to ensure it is delivered in the best way for wildlife. Continued monitoring of biodiversity both onsite and in the surrounding area will be essential, not only for the ecological outcomes of the Sunnica scheme, but to improve the understanding of large solar farm development’s effects on the UK’s biodiversity.

Norwich to Tilbury

We are continuing to engagement with the Norwich to Tilbury project team regarding concerns about the crossing of the River Waveney, where both pylon and underground options put forward appear likely to impact nature recovery at the landmark Waveney and Little Ouse Recovery Project. At a wider scale our response and conversations with National Grid cover issues such as impacts to priority habitats, including hedgerows and associated species such as hazel dormice.  

Sea Link

The proposed landfall location for Sea Link, at Leiston-Aldeburgh SSSI where the RSPB’s North Warren reserve is located, risks significant impacts to protected wildlife and habitats if permitted and we have made clear our objection to this location, which could also see Nautilus - a proposed UK-Belgian cable project - make landfall in the same place at a later date.

LionLink

LionLink appears set to make landfall further north before connecting to the proposed new Friston Sub-station; again, we have concerns regarding impacts to protected sites including our own reserves, Reydon Wood, Church Farm Marshes, and Darsham Marshes, as well as the floodplain of the River Blyth, an important habitat for many species, with strong links to the Blyth Estuary (an internationally important site for birds). We continue to discuss with National Grid both avoiding and reducing impacts, as well as delivering nature recovery as part of this and other projects.

Sizewell C

Work on the site preparation for Sizewell C construction is underway and whilst we still believe the location is unsuitable given the area is so important for wildlife and the risk remains high, we continue to work closely with the developer, the planning authority, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the RSPB to lessen the impact and risk on wildlife. We remain focussed on the key areas of risk to nationally protected habitats and species to ensure our efforts and resources result in the very best wildlife outcomes.

Overall, 2024 has been a busy year for the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Planning & Advocacy Team, who have considered and engaged on a variety of energy projects. Working with Wildlife Trust colleagues and NGO partners, as well as local authorities, we continue to strive for the best possible outcomes for Suffolk’s wildlife and wild places. It is our hope that the Great British Energy Bill and GB Energy will help us to do more to tackle the biodiversity crisis alongside the climate crisis. 

Rupert Masefield, Planning & Advocacy Manager at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, summarises:

"The Great British Energy Bill must place a clear and active requirement, via a nature recovery duty, for GB Energy to contribute to the achievement of biodiversity targets set under the Environment Act. We firmly believe that delivering compensation and enhancement for biodiversity at a strategic, landscape, level is an essential part of meeting national and local biodiversity targets. 

"We are working to bring together multiple project teams, advocating that where compensation and enhancement measures are proposed there is a move away from the piecemeal offerings often put forward. Instead, nationally significant projects, should deliver nationally significant benefits for biodiversity, which in turn support the ecosystem services which offer natural solutions to climate change and its impacts as well as a wealth of benefits to people. On the Suffolk Coast, where so many projects are proposed, this joined-up and collaborative approach could not be more important."