Beyond Carbon Reduction and the Green Transition Dilemma in Reconciling Renewable Energy Expansion with Nature Conservation

Abstract

The global energy transition has accelerated the deployment of renewable energy as a primary strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving climate targets. However, evaluating sustainability predominantly through carbon reduction may overlook significant ecological consequences associated with renewable energy expansion, including land-use change, biodiversity disturbance, critical mineral extraction, resource dependency, and ecosystem degradation. This article examines the emerging green transition dilemma in which efforts to mitigate climate change may generate new environmental pressures when renewable energy development is pursued without adequate ecological planning and resource governance. It argues that sustainability should not be determined solely by whether an energy source is classified as renewable or fossil-based, but by its overall environmental and social performance throughout its lifecycle. To address this limitation, the article proposes an Ecological Energy Transition Framework consisting of four interconnected dimensions: carbon performance, ecological integrity, resource sustainability, and energy security with social responsibility. The framework shifts the energy transition paradigm from a technology- and source-centered approach toward an ecosystem-centered and performance-based perspective. Renewable energy remains essential for global decarbonization, but its expansion should be accompanied by biodiversity protection, environmentally responsible spatial planning, sustainable mineral governance, circular resource management, and consideration of energy accessibility and affordability. Ultimately, the article argues that renewable energy should be understood as a pathway toward sustainability rather than sustainability itself. A genuinely green energy transition must simultaneously reduce lifecycle environmental impacts, preserve ecological integrity, ensure responsible resource use, and maintain reliable and equitable energy services.