Holistic impact assessments in three European regions plus co-produced fit-for-purpose formats for decision-making for wind energy governance. Deliverable 1.3. JustWind4All project.

This report presents holistic impact assessments of wind energy governance in three European regions—Spain, Portugal, and Bulgaria—using Quantitative Storytelling to ensure relevance. ENBIOS and WindTrace were used for holistic assessment and life cycle impacts. In Spain, the analysis of the 2030 National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) shows that while decarbonization reduces local emissions, it increases upstream pressures such as material extraction and land use. A breakeven analysis reveals that some impacts (e.g., ionising radiation) are offset within a few years, while others (e.g., material resource use) remain uncompensated, highlighting long-term sustainability challenges. In Portugal, the study of the Cabril wind park compares end-of-life strategies: repowering, substitution, and lifetime extension. Repowering boosts electricity output but increases material impacts; extensions reduce impacts but yield less energy, revealing a trade-off between material efficiency and energy productivity. In Bulgaria, two energy scenarios (WEM and WAM) are evaluated using life cycle and uncertainty analyses to support public debate on wind energy deployment. The WAM scenario, featuring higher proportions of wind and solar, results in lower environmental impacts and increased statistical reliability. Wind energy is identified as the most environmentally friendly option, whereas biomass and nuclear energy need to be reconsidered because of their effects on land use, toxicity, and resource utilization. These findings underscore the need for context-sensitive, participatory, and justice-oriented approaches to wind energy governance, emphasizing that sustainability involves navigating trade-offs and addressing both local and global impacts.