Solar panels are seen at a solar photovoltaic farm in Lingwu in China's northern Ningxia region on November 2, 2025.
The global push for solar energy expansion could carry hidden biodiversity costs, according to a study across China published in the journal Science on Thursday.
According to the research spanning more than 2,300 Chinese counties, pro-solar policies led to reductions in bird diversity in what the authors called an example of a "green dilemma" pitting carbon reduction against conservation.
"The main message is not to slow the renewable energy transition, but to make solar development more ecologically informed," first author Huiming Zhang, of the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, told AFP.
China's goal to achieve net zero before 2060 has seen it embark on a renewables revolution.
