New Webinar Series: Connecting Energy, Nature and People

Mar 25
2 min read

RGI and GINGR are launching a new webinar series, Connecting Energy, Nature & People, bringing together diverse stakeholders to explore how the energy transition can deliver tangible benefits for both nature and communities.

Connecting Vegetation Management & Ecosystem Accounting in Grid Planning

The first session focuses on Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) and ecosystem accounting, and how these approaches can be integrated into electricity grid planning. It highlights how operational practices can move beyond compliance to generate measurable biodiversity gains, strengthen community value, and support more resilient infrastructure decisions.

Across Europe, Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs) are already demonstrating that operational practices such as IVM can go far beyond compliance. From Portugal to Austria, innovative approaches are showing how corridor management can enhance grid resilience, reduce costs, and restore ecosystems - while also strengthening relationships with local communities. These experiences highlight a broader opportunity: to reposition grid corridors as assets that generate ecological, social, and economic value.

At the same time, a critical challenge remains. How can these practices be translated into robust, decision-relevant information that supports planning, regulation, and investment?

This webinar introduces the SEEA Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) framework as a practical bridge between field-level action and strategic decision-making. Through real-world examples and tools such as spatial conservation planning, speakers will demonstrate how biodiversity, ecosystem services, and operational data can be integrated into consistent indicators and monitoring approaches. These outputs can inform national reporting systems and align with emerging disclosure frameworks, including CSRD and TNFD.

Participants will gain insights into how ecosystem accounting can:

support more strategic and efficient grid planning,
inform regulatory and cost-allocation discussions,
contribute to national ecosystem accounting under EU policy, and
strengthen nature-related risk assessments for grid development.

The session will also showcase practical, Nature-Positive solutions on the ground - including the use of extensive grazing to reduce wildfire risks while enhancing biodiversity - demonstrating how operational measures can deliver multiple benefits for both infrastructure and ecosystems.

Guided by Prof. Lars Hein (Wageningen University), the session will also address key methodological and governance questions, including how to translate complex ecological data into decision-useful insights and ensure transparency and credibility.

Bringing together perspectives from GINGR, industry, and applied research, Adrián Maté (GINGR), Inês Cândido / Inês Lopes (E-Redes), and Sofia Vaz (Natural Business Intelligence) will share practical approaches to integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into grid operations, with moderation by Gus Schellekens (GINGR Director, RGI).

👉 Join us to explore how grid infrastructure can evolve from minimising impacts to actively delivering Nature- and People-Positive outcomes.

Mark your calendars:

📅 22 April 2026 | 15:00 – 16:30 CEST