A Brighter Future: Tackling the Climate Crisis and Protecting Free-Flowing Rivers

Our planet faces a threat like no other in human history - climate change. We must act now to accelerate the renewable energy revolution and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But we must avoid harming nature and communities in the process. Poorly-sited renewables (including wind, solar and hydropower) could exacerbate the global biodiversity crisis and fuel local conflicts, which could even slow efforts to transform power grids and tackle climate change. Hydropower in particular — which has long been the world’s dominant renewable energy source — can cause significant negative impacts on rivers and the people that depend on them.

Fortunately, we can minimize negative impacts on nature by investing in the right renewables in the right places. Watch this recording to hear Jeff Opperman, WWF’s lead global scientist for freshwater, discuss strategies to meet global climate and energy goals without driving greater nature loss, sacrificing the world’s last free-flowing rivers, or harming communities.