Is environmental impact assessment fulfilling its potential? The case of climate change in renewable energy projects

Abstract

One of the topics receiving much attention in recent years is climate change and the potential of its integration in impact assessment, both in terms of achieving mitigation and adaptation. Renewable energy projects are part of the efforts to mitigate climate change, replacing the use of fossil fuel with CO 2 -neutral energy sources. A variety of these projects are subject to environmental impact assessment (EIA), which raises the following questions: What role does an impact assessment play? When is the project environmentally friendly? How are climate change-related impacts assessed in projects with inherent positive effects on climate change? This paper reviews practice, and takes up these questions based on a document study of 19 EIA reports of renewable energy projects in Denmark. The results show that climate change mitigation is included in 18 of the EIA reports reviewed, while adaptation is absent. Also, the results show an emphasis on positive impacts in the reports, and in a few cases discussions of enhancements. Identification and assessment of negative climate change impacts are less apparent. This leads to a discussion of the results in the light of the purpose of EIA.

The challenges of risk society for impact assessment

“…Through the last decade, there has been discussion, analysis, and guidance published on whether and how the challenge of climate change should be handled in impact assessment (see e.g. Agrawala et al 2012;Wilson 2010;Larsen 2014;McGuin et al 2013a andMcGuin et al 2013b). It has been suggested that climate change should be integrated into impact assessment through three approaches (Larsen and Kørnøv 2009):…”

“…Internationally, a study prepared for the European Commission points out that in SEA 'specific attention to climate change issues appears still to be limited in many Member States' (COWI 2009, 116). In EIA, a study published by Larsen (2014) indicates a larger emphasis on integration of climate change. Here, 18 out of 19 studied EIA statements integrated climate change, although, as was the case for SEA, the primary focus is on mitigation, since none of the statements mention climate change adaptation or baseline adaptation (Larsen 2014).…”

“…In EIA, a study published by Larsen (2014) indicates a larger emphasis on integration of climate change. Here, 18 out of 19 studied EIA statements integrated climate change, although, as was the case for SEA, the primary focus is on mitigation, since none of the statements mention climate change adaptation or baseline adaptation (Larsen 2014). Likewise, Agrawala et al (2012) point out the lack of actual implementation of climate change adaptation in EIA in practice.…”

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

“…A major aim of the research project was to overcome the science-policy-practice-divide [26][27][28] in mainstreaming climate change into EIA. The mixed-methods approach and in particular the backcasting scenario building process helped to tackle barriers -such as lack of data, specifications, guidance and legal frameworks as well as capacity and awareness of actors -identified previously by earlier studies [29][30][31][32] and allow actors with different knowledge of climate change impacts and their relevance for impact assessment to participate actively in the discourses. This paper discusses both the transdisciplinary process -focusing on the backcasting approach in scenario analysis -and the interdisciplinary findings for EIA and SEA practice.…”

Site Selection of Hybrid Offshore Wind and Wave Energy Systems in Greece Incorporating Environmental Impact Assessment

“…EIA is nowadays considered a modern tool of developed societies for the achievement of appropriate compromises between development and environment, aiming at the inclusion of environmental concerns in decision-making and ultimately at promoting a more sustainable development [42,43]. An EIA enables the assessment of the environmental impacts of a project occurring during the planning phase of its life cycle, and includes impact assessment, as well as mitigation and prevention measures throughout the whole project's life cycle.…”