Rewilding Portugal warns green energy projects can harm biodiversity

In an opinion piece, Rewilding Portugal argues that the energy transition cannot come at the expense of biodiversity, warning that large-scale renewable projects can fragment habitats and threaten vulnerable species if poorly planned. It cites the SOPHIA solar project in Beira Baixa, opposed by the organisation for occupying thousands of hectares in an ecologically valuable landscape. The piece calls for stricter, more transparent environmental impact assessments and territorial planning that prioritises low-biodiversity areas for energy infrastructure while protecting ecological corridors, arguing that climate and biodiversity goals must be pursued together, not traded off against each other.