WWEA Launches Community Engagement Guidelines
WWEA Launches Community Engagement Guidelines
Bonn/Shantou, 5 December 2025 (WWEA) – On the occasion of the 22nd World Wind Energy Conference, currently taking place in Shantou, China, the World Wind Energy Association has published its WWEA Community Engagement Guidelines.
The guidelines aim to set standards for effective engagement with communities and citizens living in the vicinity of wind farms. In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that strong community engagement—including transparent communication and the fair sharing of benefits—supports the growth of the wind sector by fostering broad social support. Good community engagement should be ensured throughout all phases of a project: from early planning through construction and operation, and ultimately, if applicable, decommissioning.
The WWEA Community Engagement Guidelines were drafted by the WWEA Community Engagement Council, which brings together practitioners from various parts of the world, including:
* Enercon, Germany
* Eolica, Brazil
* EVK, Germany
* HellwegWind, Germany
* Renewable Resources, Pakistan
* Windey, China
* Windpark Druiberg, Germany
* Windplus, India
* Individual advisor: Monica Oliphant, Australia
Drawing on this wide range of perspectives and experience, the guidelines establish standards intended to support wind farm development worldwide. They are available for download in both full-length and summary versions.
WWEA President Dr. Irfan Mirza:
I would like to thank the WWEA Community Engagement Council for their dedication in developing these important guidelines. Strong and meaningful community engagement is no longer optional—it is essential for the sustainable growth of wind energy worldwide. Community engagement is a critical success factor, not only for public acceptance but also for project bankability. Our aim is for these guidelines to become a core component of due diligence for lenders and development finance institutions. When debt financing is contingent on demonstrably following best practices in community benefit sharing, the entire industry will accelerate – ensuring that wind energy development advances in a fair, inclusive, and sustainable manner.
WWEA Secretary General Stefan Gsänger:
The manifold benefits of wind farms are obvious: they contribute to a better environment, they reduce and stabilise energy prices, they are key for a resilient and domestic energy supply, they create local jobs, and more.
However, in times of misinformation, it is not enough to only know about these benefits in theory. Communities and citizens must experience the concrete advantages that wind farms bring to them. Our guidelines will provide a foundation for best practices to spread around the world and help the wind sector grow even faster.
Xianong Chen, Windey Energy Technology Group:
For Windey, good community engagement is never an optional responsibility but the cornerstone of sustainable development in the wind power industry. Wind power projects take root in local communities, and their success relies entirely on mutual trust and win-win cooperation. We firmly adhere to the core principles of early, transparent and comprehensive communication emphasized in the guidelines, ensuring local communities are fully informed and involved from project site selection to decommissioning. In the future, Windey will take the release of these guidelines as an opportunity to strictly implement every principle, share our experience in community engagement with global peers, and contribute Chinese wisdom to building a more inclusive and sustainable global wind power industry.
Dr. Karunamoorthy Neethimani, Windplus, India:
Community engagement is not a procedural requirement for us – it is a sacred responsibility. Communities near wind farms are not passive stakeholders; they are partners who carry the shared burden of humanity’s transition to clean energy – the guardians of a civilisational transition toward a self-sustainable future. Our duty is to uplift them with the dignity and empowerment worthy of sovereigns. Meaningful engagement must therefore honour them with opportunities that strengthen their social, economic and environmental resilience.
These guidelines offer a unified global framework to ensure that the growth of wind energy uplifts people and planet together.
Monica, Oliphant, WWEA Australia:
The WWEA Community Energy Guidelines for Wind Projects is an essential guide for developers and communities alike directing them along the right path to ensure a successful wind project. In these times we need to work hard to make sure that fear, uncertainty and misinformation don’t overshadow potential opportunities and benefits.
Strong community engagement doesn't just reduce risk – it builds long-term project stability and transforms compliance into a competitive advantage. The WWEA Community Energy Guidelines for Wind Projects help to ensure this is so.
PDF download of WWEA Community Engagement Guidelines in full length: https://wwindea.org/ss-uploads/media/2025/11/1764156745-1d2e2af2-5694-4364-b087-a3dd16c6ec20.pdf
PDF download of Summary of WWEA Community Engagement Guidelines: https://wwindea.org/ss-uploads/media/2025/11/1764156745-e02db723-b32d-4c78-abd4-cfa7146b54a9.pdf