Policy Recommendations to Strengthen Public Acceptance of Wind Power

Wind power development has expanded rapidly, raising concerns both nationally and within local communities. In our research, we examined wind power and land use changes from ecological, social, and economic perspectives. Based on our findings, we developed recommendations for policymakers to help ensure a sustainable energy transition.

Our research clearly demonstrated that wind power provides significant climate benefits by reducing emissions, though the extent of these benefits depends on how effectively wind energy displaces fossil fuel use. The impacts on biodiversity were generally negative, but they can be significantly mitigated through spatial planning, collision-prevention technologies, and ecological compensation measures.

Our citizen survey confirmed that the location of wind farms plays a critical role in their acceptance: the farther they are from residential areas, the more positively they are perceived. Existing wind farms were seen as more acceptable than proposed ones, and turbines were more acceptable near permanent homes than holiday residences — which may pose challenges for siting in areas with a high density of seasonal housing.

Our results and final report received broad attention in both national and international media. We were contacted by numerous citizens, participated in radio and social media discussions, and published articles, blogs, and opinion pieces. We also organized a public event that explored the prospects and impacts of wind and solar energy from the perspectives of emissions reductions, public acceptance, environmental effects, and practical planning. Nearly 400 stakeholders attended the event.

The attention and feedback received by our LandUseZero project demonstrate the importance of this topic in societal debate, said Professor Anne Tolvanen, who led the project.

As part of an international working group, we produced a policy brief sharing insights and best practices to support a sustainable and socially accepted transition to clean energy through wind power. The brief presents six key recommendations for planners and decision-makers to increase public acceptance of wind power:

1. Acknowledge and address local community concerns about the human impacts of wind turbines, using transparent communication and scientific knowledge.
2. Assess environmental impacts and apply the mitigation hierarchy to minimize harm to nature.
3. Communicate both the market and non-market benefits and costs of wind power and include these in the decision-making process.
4. Involve local communities in the planning process from the very beginning.
5. Ensure that all voices — including the silent majority and indigenous peoples — are meaningfully considered in decisions.
6. Help local communities understand the broader benefits of wind power and the clean energy transition.

The project’s synthesis report also emphasizes the importance of domestic biodiversity research and the development of economic incentives to encourage landowners to engage in socially acceptable and ecologically sustainable practices. In this context, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation are mutually reinforcing, not conflicting, goals.

The LandUseZero project was carried out by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the University of Eastern Finland, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), as part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s "Catch the Carbon" initiative. The initiative aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land use sectors and to strengthen carbon sinks and stocks.