Assessing environmental licensing guidelines for wind energy in Brazil: implications for biodiversity conservation

In the global pursuit of energy security and climate change mitigation, wind energy is a key low-carbon energy source. Brazil ranks sixth in global wind energy generation, with high demand concentrated in the Northeast region. However, the sector's environmental licensing has faced criticism for offering limited contributions to environmental protection and ecosystem integrity, particularly concerning vulnerable or bioindicator taxa such as birds, amphibians, and reptiles. We evaluated the quality of environmental licensing guidelines for wind energy in nine northeastern Brazilian states using an analytical checklist based on 66 guiding questions, focusing on recommendations for collecting data on these groups. Our findings revealed that six states have specific guidelines for wind energy licensing and showed the highest quality indicators. In contrast, states that rely on general or non-specific regulations demonstrated the lowest performance. Given these results, we recommend the urgent revision of licensing guidelines across all nine states. These guidelines should be clear, comprehensive, and require primary data specifically on birds, amphibians, and reptiles during environmental assessments. By addressing these aspects, licensing processes will better contribute to biodiversity conservation and support wind energy in becoming an ecologically sustainable energy source, reinforcing its vital role in the energy transition and climate solutions.