William R. Sheate

Cumulative effects assessment: A review of UK environmental impact statements

Abstract The consideration of cumulative effects in environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been required in the UK, though somewhat ambiguously, since the EC Directive (85/337/EEC) was implemented in 1988. This paper describes the results of a review of cumulative effects considerations in 50 UK environmental impact statements (EISs) prepared for a variety of project types produced between 1989 and 2000. The results of the review suggest that cumulative effects are far from thoroughly addressed. Only 24 EISs (48%) mentioned the term ‘cumulative effects/impacts’ and only 9 EISs (18%) provided a discussion, which were mostly qualitative. The problems in addressing these issues are explored, and the main findings include the various interpretations of the concept of cumulative effects and the varied treatment of cumulative effects issues. Where cumulative effects are considered in the scoping stage, this led to a further discussion or analysis of these effects. The research concludes that for a better consideration of cumulative effects, an effective driving force would be the local planning authority (and other competent authorities) requiring developers during the scoping process to address cumulative effects and so help meet the most recent strengthened legal requirements of the EC EIA Amendment Directive 97/11/EC and UK Regulations. More tailored guidance for developers and authorities alike is needed for this to happen.

Knowledge exchange: a review and research agenda for environmental management

There is increasing emphasis on the need for effective ways of sharing knowledge to enhance environmental management and sustainability. Knowledge exchange (KE) are processes that generate, share and/or use knowledge through various methods appropriate to the context, purpose, and participants involved. KE includes concepts such as sharing, generation, coproduction, comanagement, and brokerage of knowledge. This paper elicits the expert knowledge of academics involved in research and practice of KE from different disciplines and backgrounds to review research themes, identify gaps and questions, and develop a research agenda for furthering understanding about KE. Results include 80 research questions prefaced by a review of research themes. Key conclusions are: (1) there is a diverse range of questions relating to KE that require attention; (2) there is a particular need for research on understanding the process of KE and how KE can be evaluated; and (3) given the strong interdependency of research questions, an integrated approach to understanding KE is required. To improve understanding of KE, action research methodologies and embedding evaluation as a normal part of KE research and practice need to be encouraged. This will foster more adaptive approaches to learning about KE and enhance effectiveness of environmental management.

Integration and integrated approaches to assessment: what do they mean for the environment?

Integration and integrated approaches are increasingly presented as new and superior ways to consider the environment in policy- and decision-making. If used in an uncritical way, this assertion could become a hindrance to good practice and could undermine efforts to defend or improve environmental quality. The aim of this paper is to provide the missing critical perspective through an investigation of the meanings of integration found in recent literature on assessment. This literature represents a broad survey of European (particularly UK) and US critiques of assessment practices, and proposals for better and usually ‘more integrated’ approaches. These critiques and proposals relate to a range of assessment contexts, from relatively technical issues of data handling, to questions of the design, choice and implementation of policy options. This paper also surveys, and contributes to, literature that questions the central goals and assumptions informing assessment practice and environmental governance more widely. Fourteen meanings of ‘integration’ are presented, with a discussion of the potential synergies and conflicts among them, and with environmental objectives. Integration is argued to be a matter of value judgements concerning assessment design in specific historical and social contexts. Far from providing a panacea, integration would appear to create as many challenges as it might resolve in seeking to achieve more sustainable development. Copyright

Road Developments in the UK: An Analysis of Ecological Assessment in Environmental Impact Statements Produced between 1993 and 1997

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has been required for certain proposed road developmentsin the UK since EC Directive (85/337) was implemented in 1988. The extent to which the requirements of the EIA Directive are met with respect to ecological issues has been explored in earlier reviews of road statements (Treweek et al., 1993) and of UK environmental impact statements (EISs) in general (Thompson et al., 1997). This paper describes the results of a further review of 40 EISs produced between 1993 and 1997 and also examines recent changes in the political context for EIA of proposed road developments,including developments in UK transport policy and the UK biodiversity process. The results of the review suggest that the ecological assessment of proposed road developments has improved in some respects, but also highlights the persistence of many shortcomings identified in earlier reviews. The reasons for ongoing failure to address these issues are explored. Key findings include a marked improvement in the extent of reference to consultation with statutory consultees and an increase in the proportion of EISs reporting the results of new ecological surveys. However, while potential ecological impacts were discussed in all the EISs reviewed, many still failed to predict the full range of potential ecological impacts.

Sustainability Assessment of Future Scenarios: Methodology and Application to Mountain Areas of Europe

BioScene (scenarios for reconciling biodiversity conservation with declining agriculture use in mountain areas in Europe) was a three-year project (2002–2005) funded by the European Union’s Fifth Framework Programme, and aimed to investigate the implications of agricultural restructuring and decline for biodiversity conservation in the mountain areas of Europe.The research took a case study approach to the analysis of the biodiversity processes and outcomes of different scenarios of agri-environmental change in six countries (France, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) covering the major biogeographical regions of Europe. The project was coordinated by Imperial College London, and each study area had a multidisciplinary team including ecologists and social and economic experts, which sought a comprehensive understanding of the drivers for change and their implications for sustainability.A key component was the sustainability assessment (SA) of the alternative scenarios. This article discusses the development and application of the SA methodology developed for BioScene. While the methodology was objectives-led, it was also strongly grounded in baseline ecological and socio-economic data. This article also describes the engagement of stakeholder panels in each study area and the use of causal chain analysis for understanding the likely implications for land use and biodiversity of strategic drivers of change under alternative scenarios for agriculture and rural policy and for biodiversity management. Finally, this article draws conclusions for the application of SA more widely, its use with scenarios, and the benefits of stakeholder engagement in the SA process.

Sustainability appraisal of English regional plans: incorporating the requirements of the EU Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive

The adoption of EU Directive 2001/42/EC on strategic environmental assessment (the ‘SEA Directive’) presents the UK Government and regional bodies in England with a dilemma: current government guidance requires Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) and Regional Economic Strategies (RESs) to undergo a sustain-ability appraisal. A number of options could therefore be considered: carry out SEA rather than sustainability appraisal; undertake SEA and separate economic and social appraisals; or establish a sustainability appraisal process that incorporates the specific requirements of the SEA Directive. An interview survey of 25 experts and practitioners revealed clear support for the latter option. This paper discusses the implications of such a move and the changes that may be required to existing sustainability appraisal practice as a result.

Integrating cumulative effects assessment into UK strategic planning: implications of the European Union SEA Directive

This paper considers several options for addressing cumulative effects in strategic planning, one of which is through strategic environmental assessment (SEA). The adoption of the EU Directive on the assessment of effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment and its future incorporation into UK law by 2004 will have implications for the consideration of cumulative effects in strategic planning. An interview survey of 28 government regulators, experts, practitioners and planners revealed current understanding of cumulative effects, what cumulative effects issues could be addressed at the various planning levels and how they may be addressed through SEA. The findings helped inform the development of a framework for integrating cumulative effects assessment into the SEA and plan-making process. The proposed framework identifies key steps and activities in the SEA process to address cumulative effects.

Sustainability Assessment for Agriculture Scenarios in Europe’s Mountain Areas: Lessons from Six Study Areas

Sustainability assessment (SA) is a holistic and long-range strategic instrument capable of assisting policy-making in electing, and deciding upon, future development priorities. The outcomes of an SA process become more relevant and strengthened when conducted with multi-stakeholder engagement, which provides for multiple dialogues and perspectives. This was the object of research of the SA team in the context of BioScene (Scenarios for Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation with Declining Agriculture Use in Mountain Areas in Europe), a three-year project (2002–2005) funded by the European Union 5th Framework Program, which aimed to investigate the implications of agricultural restructuring and decline for biodiversity conservation in the mountain areas of Europe, using three distinct methodological streams: the ecological, the socio-economic, and the SA approaches. The SA approach drew on the previous two to assess the importance for biodiversity management of different scenarios of agri-environmental change and rural policy in six countries (France, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), develop causal chains, include stakeholder views, and identify potential contributions for, or conflicts with, sustainability. This article tells how SA was used, what sustainability meant in each study area through different objectives of sustainability considered, discusses the methods used in SA, and the benefits arising. The SA was conducted by a team independent of any study area, who developed and oversaw the application of the SA methodology, assisting national teams, and developing a cross-country understanding of the sustainability of proposed scenarios in the different geographical and social contexts, and their implications for policy-making. Finally, it reflects on the persistent challenges of interdisciplinary research, compounded by multi-cultural teams, and concludes on the BioScene’s lessons for the further development and application of SA.

Strategic environmental assessment in the transport sector

The case is presented for using strategic environmental assessment in the preparation of transport policies, plans and programmes. An objectives-led approach to the use of SEA at the transport policy level is recommended. The procedures and methods of assessment to be followed are outlined. A consistent European approach to SEA is advocated as European networks for road, rail and air transport are planned in response to the creation of the EC single market.

Community-based renewable energy in the Lake District National Park – local drivers, enablers, barriers and solutions

Diverse communities are often considered to be more stable and productive. To mitigate and adapt to climate change and overcome energy insecurities, international, national and local communities need decentralised alternatives to complement and support traditional centralised energy systems. Policies with top-down targets promote the quick fix rather than the most sustainable scheme, and institutional and social barriers inhibit the local action needed to identify, plan and deliver the most valuable and appropriate alternatives. For diversity and sustainability, how can local community-based renewable energy (CRE) schemes be valuable and appropriate alternatives? Interviews and case studies with public, private and community-based stakeholders in the Lake District National Park reveal the drivers, enablers and barriers to CRE schemes. Two solutions designed to catalyse and coordinate local action are proposed: CRE plans and champions. Together from the bottom-up, they help to generate, coordinate and communicate the necessary local knowledge, resources and trust to promote positive data sets on energy capacity, opportunity and need. Thus, planning becomes suitably strategic for achieving sustainable energy futures.