The BioSolar project explores how renewable energy investments can go beyond reducing carbon emissions to also deliver tangible biodiversity benefits. Funded under the Horizon Europe and Biodiversa+ programme, the initiative brings together universities, research centres, and industry partners from across Europe and Canada. Its central mission is to design and test innovative ways of developing solar farms that balance clean energy generation with ecological restoration, ensuring that solar investments also become biodiversity-positive projects.

The Sustainable Finance Research Centre leads the financial work package of the project. Our role is to develop financial tools and frameworks that guide investors, policymakers, and companies in allocating capital to solar projects that support biodiversity. This involves analysing trade-offs between maximising energy output and enhancing ecological value, and ensuring that ecosystem services such as pollination, soil quality, and habitat connectivity are maintained. By integrating finance and ecology, BioSolar aims to set a new benchmark for nature-positive renewable energy development.