Measuring What Matters: Advancing Ocean Metrics for a Nature- and People-Positive Energy Transition at COP30

Offshore wind and resilient electricity grids are central to achieving a just and rapid energy transition. Yet, as Ali Raza Rizvi, Director of IUCN’s Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team highlighted, “We need to make sure that when we are trying to tackle climate change through renewables, we don’t create another problem – that’s why we need to bring nature, climate and people perspectives to the renewables implementation.” 

The session presented the progress of the GINGR toolbox of offshore wind metrics, designed to support offshore wind projects to effectively monitor, evaluate, and report their contribution to the global Nature-Positive goal, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and other conservation targets. To develop the toolbox, a compilation exercise is being conducted, gathering biodiversity metrics and quantitative approaches currently being utilised and piloted in offshore wind projects and marine infrastructure developments worldwide. 

Following the GINGR updates, Cathy Yitong Li, Global Climate and Energy Policy Lead at Birdlife, introduced the GINGR white paper co-developed by IUCN and BirdLife International. The paper provides a roadmap for advancing these goals, identifying key gaps and opportunities for accelerating a sustainable, just, and accountable offshore renewable energy future.  

In the panel discussions, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Global Leader of Climate & Energy at WWF and GINGR International Advisory Board member, stressed the importance of adopting a holistic approach: “When we think about accountability, we need to think about the whole ecosystem. We need to recover hope.” Qiulin Liu, Energy Transition Programme Officer at IUCN, also emphasised that scaling offshore renewables cannot succeed in silos; mitigation and adaptation must be considered together, with clear metrics to measure Nature- and People-Positive outcomes. 

The session showcased real-world applications of the framework, with Shining Zhang, Researcher, drawing on experiences from the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), such as mapping good practice projects in China. Other speakers referenced monitoring biodiversity in offshore wind developments and aligning energy transition plans with global sustainability standards. Shamini Selvaratnam, Director, International Climate and Clean Energy, Ocean Conservancy, noted, “COP30 was built as the implementation COP; it is time to actualise and build on our pilots into full rollout renewable solutions.” Participants discussed how harmonised metrics can prevent unintended environmental impacts while accelerating deployment in line with climate goals. 

Gavin Edwards, Executive Director of the Nature Positive Initiative, highlighted the strategic value of the metrics: “We need to build out metrics consistent with global frameworks and goals, to truly accelerate renewables in a Nature-, Climate- and People-Positive way.” These metrics aim not only to guide project planning but also to inform policy, financing, and regulatory frameworks, ensuring that renewable energy expansion delivers measurable ecological, social, and economic benefits. 

The discussion also addressed challenges in eliminating barriers between policy, regulation, and industry. Panellists shared ideas to unify ocean-related renewable energy indicators, drawing lessons from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG) Protocol for standardising carbon metrics and applying similar approaches to biodiversity and ecosystem impact. The draft GINGR framework is designed to evolve with feedback from stakeholders worldwide, creating a shared foundation for tracking and reporting progress toward integrated energy, climate, and biodiversity goals. Following the development of the toolbox, criteria for metric selection and prioritisation along with a modular framework for applying metrics across project phases, will be established. 

The session concluded with a clear message: achieving a Nature-, Climate-, and People-Positive energy transition requires collaboration across sectors, rigorous monitoring and reporting, and a commitment to systemic accountability. By embedding these principles in policy, investment, and implementation, the offshore renewable sector can deliver transformative outcomes for communities and ecosystems. 

Follow GINGR’s journey by checking out their website, signing up for their newsletter and following them on LinkedIn.