scholarly journals Perspectives from 2037—Can Environmental Impact Assessment be the Solution for an Early Consideration of Climate Change-related Impacts?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4002
Author(s):  
Alexandra Jiricka-Pürrer ◽  
Thomas F. Wachter ◽  
Patrick Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Legal Compliance ◽  
Eu Directive ◽  
Ex Post

Consideration of climate change in environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a rather novel topic, which became partly mandatory through the revised EU Directive on EIA. Through a mixed-methods approach involving key-actors from EIA practice, decision making and climate adaptation planning, this study presents a transdisciplinary point of view on barriers and opportunities to tackle climate change adaptation in the environmental assessment of large-scale projects. It is based on both a retrospective ex-post evaluation of existing practices in Austria and Germany as well as prescriptive examination and development of outcomes for practice through the development of a climate-fit toolkit that supports the incorporation of climate change impacts into EIAs. The scenario analysis applied with a backcasting approach provided the opportunity to look beyond limitations related to legal compliance and partly lack of data identified by previous research. Three scenario narratives were elaborated based on nine key impact factors based on literature review, content analysis of EIA documents and interviews with EIA actors. The groups of actors carried out a prioritization of actions towards consideration of climate change in EIA. Finally, the actors were involved in co-production of an online tool-kit for Austrian and German EIA practice.

scholarly journals Perspectives from 2037 – Can Environmental Impact Assessment Be the Solution for an Early Consideration of Climate Change Related Impacts?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Jiricka-Pürrer ◽  
Patrick Driscoll ◽  
Thomas F. Wachter
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Impact Factors ◽  
Legal Compliance ◽  
Eu Directive ◽  
Ex Post

Consideration of climate change in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a rather novel topic, which became partly mandatory through the revised EU Directive on EIA. Through a mixed-methods approach involving key-actors from EIA practice, decision making and climate adaptation planning, this study presents a transdisciplinary point of view on barriers and opportunities to tackle climate change adaptation in environmental assessment of large-scale projects. It is based on both a retrospective ex-post evaluation of existing practices in Austria and Germany as well as prescriptive examination and development of outcomes for practice through the development of a climate-fit toolkit that supports the incorporation of climate change impacts into EIAs. The scenario analysis applied with a back casting approach provided the opportunity to look beyond limitations related to legal compliance and partly lack of data identified by previous research. Three scenario narratives were elaborated based on nine key impact factors based on literature review, content analysis of EIA documents and interviews with EIA actors. The groups of actors carried out a prioritization of actions towards consideration of climate change in EIA. Finally, the actors were involved in co-production of an online tool-kit for Austrian and German EIA practice.

Mitigation and Adaptation through Environmental Impact Assessment Litigation: Rethinking the Prospect of Climate Change Litigation in China

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Xiangbai He
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Regulatory Effects ◽  
The Government ◽  
Legal Barriers

Abstract There are two general pathways towards climate change litigation in China: tort-based litigation to hold carbon emitters accountable in civil law, and administrative litigation against the government to demand better climate regulation. While the first pathway is gaining momentum among Chinese scholars, this article argues that legal barriers to applying tort-based rules to climate change should be fairly acknowledged. The article argues that China's legal framework for environmental impact assessment (EIA) provides more openness and flexibility for the resolution of climate change disputes. Therefore, EIA-based climate lawsuits, which challenge environmental authorities for not adequately taking climate change factors into account in decision-making processes, encounter relatively fewer legal barriers, require less radical legal or institutional reform, and have greater potential to maintain existing legal orders. The regulatory effects produced by EIA-based litigation suggest that the scholarship on climate change litigation in China should take such litigation seriously because it could influence both governments and emitters in undertaking more proactive efforts. This China-based study, with a special focus on judicial practice in the largest developing country, will shine a light on China's contribution to transnational climate litigation.

scholarly journals Use of Benchmark Methodology in Environmental Impact Assessment

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (-1) ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
Jelena Pubule ◽  
Dagnija Blumberga
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Industrial Activity

Use of Benchmark Methodology in Environmental Impact Assessment Every industrial activity and procedure influences the environment and climate change. This impact has to be assessed and therefore the procedure of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) including the application of a benchmark methodology has been developed. The developed benchmark methodology can be used in the initial assessment as a screening method. The article surveys the developed benchmark methodology for impact assessment of the projects providing extraction of dolomite in the deposits of mineral resources. The benchmark methodology developed makes it possible to assess the impacts caused by the provided activity by objective considerations, to conduct comparison of different projects and evaluate whether the provided activity corresponds to the principles of sustainable development.

Ecohydrological modeling for large-scale environmental impact assessment

2016 ◽  
Vol 543 ◽  
pp. 274-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean A. Woznicki ◽  
A. Pouyan Nejadhashemi ◽  
Mohammad Abouali ◽  
Matthew R. Herman ◽  
Elaheh Esfahanian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Large Scale

scholarly journals Tender Environmental Impact Assessment Extra Discharge Capacity Afsluitdijk

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Stan Van Veenendaal ◽  
Wiebe Witteveen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Discharge Capacity ◽  
Lower Cost ◽  
Limited Liability ◽  
Time Schedule ◽  
Best Value ◽  
Engineering Services

The project Extra Discharge Capacity Afsluitdijk (EDCA) of Rijkswaterstaat aims to enlarge the capacity of the discharge sluices by building new sluices, necessary because of the climate change. Rijkswaterstaat has decided to outsource the responsibility to write the Environmental Impact Report to an engineering firm. Specific problems in the outsourcing of engineering jobs involve the limited liability of the engineering firms as well as how they receive little or no feedback from the design and build phase. This paper tests the hypothesis that BVP can also be successful in the area of engineering services. The result shows that BVP can be successful in the procurement of engineering services. The application of BVP at EDCA was very distinguishing in selecting the best value vendor. It identified a vendor at a lower cost, shorter time schedule, and with more innovative ideas than the Rijkswaterstaat project team.

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