10 February 2014: The Secretariats of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), on behalf of the entire CMS Family, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and BirdLife International are coordinating a review of renewable energy technology deployment and its impacts on migratory species.

The study will produce a set of guidelines and mitigation measures for the deployment of renewable energy technologies in a way that avoids conflict with migratory species, including examples of best practice. The research also intends to amalgamate currently scattered information and improve knowledge so that, for example, wind farms can be devised so as not to adversely impact certain species of birds and bats.

The guidelines will be reviewed at each stage by the IRENA, BirdLife and CMS Secretariats and scientific and technical subsidiary bodies of the CMS Family. The final product will be submitted to the decision-making bodies of the respective treaties for adoption, starting with the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CMS, to be held in November 2014. [CMS News]