EV301

TOPIC GUIDE 1
Learning objectives
This week we shall examine the answers to the following questions:

1. What is environmental impact assessment (EIA)?

2. What are the aims and objectives of EIA?
3. What are the origins of EIA?
4. What is sustainable development and how does EIA relate to it?

Compulsory Reading
Reading 1.1

SPREP (2016) Strengthening Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines for Pacific Island
Countries and Territories [pages 7-16, to the end of section 4.2]

Reading 1.2

https://www.iisd.org/learning/eia/

The IISD has a few simple pages that give a brief overview of EIA. At this stage of the course
familiarise yourself with the EIA Essentials (https://www.iisd.org/learning/eia/eia-essentials/), and
take a look also at the EIA Timeline (https://www.iisd.org/learning/eia/eia-essentials/timeline/).

Reading 1.3

Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/

Tutorial
There will be no tutorials in Week 1 of the semester. Tutorials will commence in Week 2.
 What is Environmental Impact Assessment?

Here are a few descriptions of EIA that have been compiled from various sources.

• EIA is a systematic process to identify, predict and evaluate the environmental effects of
proposed actions and projects. (UNEP, 2002, Environmental Impact Assessment Training
Resource Manual)
• EIA is a formal process to predict the environmental consequences of human development
activities and to plan appropriate measures to eliminate or reduce adverse effects and to
augment positive effects. (FAO)
• EIA is the process of identifying the environmental consequences of human activities before
those activities begin (Morgan, 1998, Environmental Impact Assessment: a Methodological
Perspective)
• EIA is the process of assessing proposed actions (from policies to projects) for their likely
implications for all aspects of the environment, from social through to biophysical, before
decisions are made to commit to those actions, and developing appropriate responses to the
issues identified in that assessment (Morgan, 2012)
• a two-way process for identifying and managing: (1) a development’s potential impact on
the environment, and (2) the potential impacts of the environment on a development, i.e.
the potential impacts that may arise from environmental hazards and environmental change
processes, including climate change. (SPREP, 2016)

CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITY

What do these definitions have in common? How do they differ? Are any important
points omitted from any of these definitions?

Based on the readings and the lecture, try and formulate your own definition that
succinctly captures all the relevant core principles of EIA.

How do we define ‘environment’?

There are many definitions of the word ‘environment’. It is important to have a good understanding
of the wide scope of the terms ‘environment’ and ‘environmental’, as we progress through the
semester.
 READING 1.1 – SPREP GUIDELINES (pages 7-16, to the end of section 4.2)

• In the reading there is mention of how our Pacific Island landscapes are changing very
rapidly. What is driving these rapid changes?
• We will return to the difference between EIA and SEA later in the semester, but for
now, the definitions on p9 are enough to give you the basic idea of the difference in
their scope and application.
• Figure 3 (p10) highlights the aspects of the environment that could potentially need to
be considered when conducting an EIA. Look up the meaning of the terms you do not
know.
• Box 1 on p11 highlights five multilateral environmental agreements that have make
specific reference to EIA. How is the Noumea Convention different to the others? (Hint:
look up who the Parties to the Noumea Convention are).
• The benefits of the effective use of EIA are clearly outlined on pp15-16. Make sure you
understand these benefits – and who is benefitting in each case.

What are the aims and objectives of EIA?

In the short term, the immediate objectives of an EIA, at the level of a proposed project are to:

• improve the environmental design of the proposed project,

• ensure that resources are used appropriately and efficiently,
• identify appropriate measures for enhancement (of positive) and mitigation (of negative) of
potential impacts, and
• facilitate informed decision-making, including the setting of environmental terms and
conditions for implementing the project.

In the long-term, ‘big picture’ sense, the overall aims and the purpose of EIA, are to

• protect human health and safety,

• safeguard valued resources, natural areas and ecosystems, and
• ensure that development is beneficial and sustainable.

What are the origins of EIA?

North American Roots of the Environmental Movement

The grassroots environmental protest movement began in North America in the 1960s, triggered by
a variety of different environmental catastrophes, and a growing public awareness of the hazards
and risks to human health and safety that were associated with economic and technological
advancement.
 WATCH & LEARN

Watch this 10min documentary, “The EPA: Revolutionizing Environmental Regulation”

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ7F3t1b17s)

1. WK Reilly, Administrator of the EPA from 1989-93 described the environmental

movement forming as a gradual coalescence of two separate groups with
different concerns. What were these two groups?
2. The publication of the book Silent Spring is a described as a ‘catalyst’ of the
environmental movement. Explain what ‘catalyst’ means in this context.
3. WK Reilly highlighted one way in which states would compete amongst each
other to attract industries to be established. What was this?
4. Why was there political opposition to the environmental movement?
5. With the EPA setting air and water quality standards and insisting that these be
adhered to, industries had to develop technological advancements to reduce
pollutants – what was one example of this mentioned in the video?

International Meetings and Agreements

During the 1980s the environmental movement became increasingly stronger throughout the world,
and gained traction in the political sphere at both the national and international levels. It was clear
that countries needed to work together to address the environmental concerns that were affecting
the entire planet.

Four cornerstones of the Earth Summit

The 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, more commonly known as the ‘Earth
Summit’, established a number of international agreements, declarations and commitments.

• Agenda 21 - a global programme of action for achieving sustainable development to which

countries are 'politically committed' rather than legally obligated.
• The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development - a set of principles which provide
guidance on achieving sustainable development.
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - an international legally-binding
treaty to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - an international legally-binding treaty with three
objectives: the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the
equitable sharing of benefits from genetic resources.

The original architects of NEPA in the US in 1970 probably did not foresee the extent to which EIA
would be adopted internationally, culminating in Principle 17 of the Rio Declaration on Environment
and Development.
“Environmental Impact Assessment, as a national instrument, shall be undertaken for proposed
activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment, and are subject to a
decision of a competent national authority.”

Today, EIA is applied in more than 100 countries, and by all development banks and most
international aid agencies.

How does EIA relate to sustainable development?

Sustainability and sustainable development

Sustainable development is a key concept that has gained increasing international acceptance during
the last two decades. A milestone in this process was the Brundtland report, which defined
sustainable development as 'development that meets the needs of today's generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs'.

The Bruntland definition incorporates two principles: intra- and inter-generational equity. Equity in
this instance means that people have similar rights and opportunities, and the basic needs to
maintain an acceptable quality of life.

• Intra-generational equity: equity for people within this generation i.e. the current
population of earth
• Inter-generational: equity for people between generations (past, current and future
populations)

Another description of sustainable development as articulated by the economist Jeffrey Sachs is

“economic development that is also socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable”.

CRITICAL THINKING ACTIVITY

Look up the meaning of the term “socially inclusive”? Does the Bruntland definition
incorporate the concept of social inclusion?

The three pillars of sustainability

Environmental sustainability should not be confused with full sustainability, which also needs to
balance economic and social factors.

Environmental sustainability: Environmental sustainability means that we are living within the
means of our natural resources. To live in true environmental sustainability we need to ensure that
we are consuming our natural resources, such as materials, energy fuels, land, water, etc. at a
sustainable rate.

Economic sustainability: Economic sustainability requires that a business or country uses its
resources efficiently and responsibly so that it can operate in a sustainable manner to consistently
produce an operational profit. Without an operational profit, a business cannot sustain its activities.
Without acting responsibly and using its resources efficiently, a company will not be able to sustain
its activities in the long term.

Social sustainability: Social sustainability is the ability of society, or any social system, to persistently
achieve good social well-being. Achieving social sustainability ensures that the social well-being of a
country, an organisation, or a community can be maintained in the long term.

Environment
Bearable Viable

SUSTAINABLE

Society Economy
Equitable

The Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainability is the foundation for today’s leading global framework for international cooperation –
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Each of the 17 SDGs has specific targets to be achieved by 2030. The goals and targets are universal,
meaning they apply to all countries around the world, not just poor countries. Reaching the goals
requires action on all fronts – governments, businesses, civil society and people everywhere all have
a role to play.
 READING 1.3 – UN 2022 Report on the SDGs
This report on the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a baseline
assessment of where the world stands at the start of its mission to achieve these goals
by 2030. The report analyses selected indicators from the global indicator framework
for which data are available as examples to highlight some critical gaps and challenges.

As you read through these 17 goals, and see where the planet as a whole is at, think
about the following questions:
• How old will you be in 2030? What part of the world do you think you will be
living in?
• Which goals do you think will be achieved in your country by 2030?
• Which goals do you think might be the hardest to achieve?
• To the best of your knowledge, has your country already achieved any of these
goals? If yes, which ones(s) have been achieved?
• If you had to pick ONE goal only, to be the guiding force of your career path,
which one would it be and why?

EIA is a tool for sustainable development

If development is to become sustainable it is necessary to reduce the burden of its adverse

environmental impacts. These impacts have, over the almost 50 years since EIA was first introduced,
become more complex, larger in scale and more wide-ranging. The importance of EIA as a tool for
development decision-making is thus even more important.

Assessment on its own may provide important information about environmental impacts, but unless
this information is meaningfully incorporated into decision-making processes that have the capacity
to actually decline or modify the proposal, then the effect on concrete impacts will be minimal.

In addition to the need to assess, and to include the outcomes of environmental assessment into
decision-making, there is also a need to ensure that decision-making processes take place within a
wider strategic framework that looks forward and considers where current trends in development
are heading overall.

Without this forward planning aspect to EIA regimes, assessment and decision-making will only ever
be reactive in the short term, but will be unable to realistically plan for a sustainable future.