State Grid Shanghai Unveils Biodiversity Roadmap for Sustainable Urban Development

State Grid Shanghai Municipal Electric Power Company has released a comprehensive report highlighting how electricity infrastructure can coexist with biodiversity conservation in densely populated cities, bringing greater attention to the role of businesses in protecting natural ecosystems while meeting growing urban energy requirements.

Titled "All Life Thrives in Shanghai: State Grid's Biodiversity Conservation Practices in Megacities – Shanghai", the report was unveiled on October 29 at the COP17 China Corner side event in Yerevan, Armenia. The release coincides with the first global review of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

Located along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Shanghai is an important habitat for migratory birds. The city has recorded 534 wild bird species, representing approximately one-third of China's recorded bird species. However, supporting more than 24 million people requires extensive infrastructure development.

According to the report, over 5,800 kilometres of main-grid transmission lines have significant spatial overlap with approximately 6,335 square kilometres of identified wetlands. These ecosystems provide habitats for wildlife while supporting water regulation, flood management and climate resilience.

Shanghai's wider conservation efforts include a comprehensive biodiversity survey launched in December 2023 across all 16 districts, involving more than 5,000 participants. Initial findings documented 330 fish species, 44 wild mammal species and 83 large benthic animal species. A separate May 2026 update reported 543 wild bird species, compared with 534 in the State Grid report.

The report outlines biodiversity protection measures across the entire electricity grid lifecycle, including planning, construction, operation, maintenance and power dispatch. These include avoiding ecologically sensitive areas, restoring aquatic ecosystems, protecting migratory bird habitats and promoting green electricity dispatch.

It also highlights sustainable materials, supply chain management and digital technologies. Its collaborative mechanism, described as "One Hub with Multi-Party Driven by Three Chains," seeks to integrate biodiversity protection into routine grid management.

The initiative aligns with Target 12 of the Kunming-Montreal Framework, which encourages biodiversity-inclusive urban planning and the expansion of green and blue spaces.

State Grid's wider conservation programmes include Birds' Guardian Grid, which operates across 24 provinces and reportedly helped rescue more than 16,000 birds, Nests of Life and Green Power Ark, which supplies low-carbon electricity to 17 protected areas across nine provinces.