Snow leopards or solar parks? Reconciling wildlife conservation and green energy development in the high Himalaya

Harnessing solar energy is vital to meet rising global demands and reduce fossil fuel dependence, but its impacts on biodiversity are often overlooked. Using a case study from Trans-Himalayan India, we evaluated 13 proposed solar park sites against snow leopard habitat suitability. All sites overlapped with high-suitability areas (>0.5). Applying the Mitigation Hierarchy (avoid > minimize > remediate > offset), avoiding impacts would require halting or relocating projects, while collaborative planning could balance energy and conservation goals. We emphasize data-driven approaches and inclusion of local perspectives to reconcile green energy development with snow leopard conservation.