Migratory bats are among the most ecologically important—and most imperiled—mammals on Earth. The over 1,500 bat species account for approximately 20% of global mammalian diversity, and many bat species undertake seasonal movements across national boundaries. However, because of their small size and cryptic nature many knowledge gaps remain on the transboundary migratory movements of bats and the risks to which they are exposed. Habitat loss, persecution, climate change, and especially mortality from wind energy development increasingly threaten migratory bat populations worldwide. Globally, millions of bats are killed by collisions with wind turbines each year.
As Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) accelerate efforts to meet global climate goals, there is an urgent need to ensure that the expansion of renewable energy is compatible with biodiversity conservation—particularly for migratory bats. This challenge is especially acute in emerging markets, like many countries in the Global South, where bat diversity is highest but data on migration routes, seasonal movements, and population connectivity remain limited. Scientific evidence demonstrates that wind energy mitigation measures, such as strategic siting and operational curtailment during high-risk periods, can substantially reduce bat mortality with minimal loss of energy production. However, broad uptake of these measures requires stronger policy frameworks, regulatory incentives, or integration into international finance and development standards.
This side event will combine global policy perspectives with regional scientific insights, including emerging evidence of bat migration in South America. We will convene a panel of representatives from the CMS Energy Task Force (ETF), including global experts in bat conservation and wind energy planning to discuss the importance of reducing bat fatalities at wind energy facilities, and challenges around mainstreaming bat conservation and research into global biodiversity, energy, and climate policy. Complementing this policy-focused discussion, the event will present available data on migratory behavior of bat populations across southern Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile, highlighting both what is known and where data deficiencies persist. This regional perspective will illustrate how limited migration data can constrain environmental impact assessments, cross-border conservation efforts, and importantly, turbine siting decisions.
Our panelists will address the “green–green dilemma” of balancing climate mitigation with biodiversity protection including persistent data gaps and sustained financing for bat research and conservation in many regions of the Global South, where wind energy is expanding most rapidly. The session will showcase recommendations outlined by IUCN World Conservation Congress Motion 044, “Preventing population-level impacts of wind energy facilities on bats,” which calls on States, developers, and international financial institutions to adopt evidence-based mitigation and equitable regulatory approaches across the wind sector. Additionally, the side event will share products of the Bat Mitigation Working Group of the Energy Task Force, including two CMS Fact Sheets that translate the best available science on migratory bat conservation into accessible tools for policymakers, regulators, financiers, and developers. Importantly, this side event will elevate perspectives from scientists and practitioners in emerging markets and the Global South. The information and materials presented are all informed by a global network of experts contributing to the CMS ETF Bat Mitigation Working Group, where experts from every continent have shared on-the-ground experiences, emerging challenges, and opportunities for capacity building as wind energy rapidly expands into new regions.
By bringing together policy leaders, scientists, and energy stakeholders, this side event aims to position migratory bat conservation as an actionable component of sustainable energy planning—demonstrating that protecting bats is not a barrier to renewable energy, but a necessary condition for achieving truly nature-positive climate solutions.
Expected Outcomes
- Increased awareness among CMS Parties, energy planners, and financial institutions of the scale and urgency of wind energy impacts on migratory bats.
- Improved understanding of how resolving migration data gaps and adopting evidence-based mitigation measures can allow wind energy expansion while avoiding population-level impacts on bats.
- Greater visibility of CMS tools, Energy Task Force guidance, and IUCN policy processes supporting bat conservation in the renewable energy sector.
- Strengthened engagement of researchers and practitioners from emerging markets and the Global South in international policy discussions on bats and wind energy.
- Prospective pathways for integrating bat conservation into national energy planning, environmental impact assessment, and international finance safeguards.