Initial Environmental Examination Environmental Impact Assessment Environmental & Social Impact Assessment Environmental Management Plan Environmental Risk Assessment

Environmental Assessment

Environmental auditing is essentially an environmental management tool for measuring the effects of certain activities on the environment against set criteria or standards. Depending on the types of standards and the focus of the audit, there are different types of environmental audit. Organisations of all kinds now recognise the importance of environmental matters and accept that their environmental performance will be scrutinised by a wide range of interested parties. Environmental auditing is used to

An environmental assessment:

  • Identifies potential adverse environmental effects.

  • Proposes measures to mitigate adverse environmental effects.

  • Predicts whether there will be significant adverse environmental effects, after mitigation measures are implemented.

  • Includes a follow-up program to verify the accuracy of the environmental assessment and the effectiveness of the mitigation measures.

What is the purpose of an environmental assessment?

An environmental assessment is a planning and decision-making tool. The objectives of an environmental assessment are to:

  • minimize or avoid adverse environmental effects before they occur;
  • incorporate environmental factors into decision making.

When should an environmental assessment be undertaken?

An environmental assessment should be conducted as early as possible in the planning stage of a designated project in order for the proponent to be able to consider the analysis in the proposed plans, including incorporation of mitigation measures to address adverse environmental effects.

What are the benefits of environmental assessment?

By considering environmental effects and mitigation measures early in the project planning cycle, environmental assessment can support better decision making and result in many benefits, such as:

  • avoidance or minimization of adverse environmental effects;
  • opportunities for public participation and Aboriginal consultation;
  • increased protection of human health;
  • reduced project costs and delays;
  • reduced risks of environmental harm or disasters;
  • increased government accountability and harmonization;
  • lessened probability of transboundary environmental effects;
  • informed decisions that contribute to responsible development of natural resources.

Copyright 2021 © AGS. All rights reserved.