Environmental assessment: more than just a formality, an opportunity for real improvement

When we talk about environmental assessment, the first thing that often comes to mind is a long and complex administrative process. But this perspective is quite far from reality. Environmental assessment should not just be a document that has to be submitted; it should be a strategic tool to protect our environment and improve those elements that transform the territory.

What is environmental assessment?

Broadly speaking, environmental assessment consists of analyzing the effects of implementing a particular plan or project on the environment where it is located. When properly integrated into decision-making, it helps minimize impacts, protects landscapes, and promotes sustainability. But for it to really work, it should not be used solely to comply with regulations.

Legal regulatory framework

In Europe, the first specific regulation was Directive 85/337/EEC (requiring the analysis and assessment of environmental impacts in public and private projects), followed by Directives 2011/92/EU and 2014/52/EU, which reinforce the informative and critical quality of environmental reports, incorporating the need for public participation in decision-making.

In Spain, Law 21/2013 of December 2013 regulates the environmental impact assessment of projects. It also incorporates the legal framework of Directives 2001/42/EC and 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programs involving public and private projects on the environment.

In Catalonia, the current regulatory law is also Law 21/2013 on environmental assessment, which brings together in a single legal body the previous regulations on the environmental assessment of general and derivative plans.

However, it is necessary to take into account the various sectoral regulations that establish the obligation regarding the type of projects and plans that require an environmental assessment procedure.

Objectives of environmental assessment

In order to incorporate environmental criteria that allow for a broader analysis than the legal minimum required, environmental assessment must assume the following objectives:

• The integration of environmental aspects and their importance in the preparation, drafting, and authorization of plans, programs, and projects.
• The assessment and analysis of alternatives aligned with the landscape reality of the territory to be environmentally viable.
• The establishment of preventive, corrective, or compensatory measures to reduce or mitigate adverse effects on the environment.
• The establishment of monitoring and follow-up measures (Environmental Monitoring and Follow-up Plan) to allow for the proper integration of the planned studies.

Environmental assessment vs. environmental impact assessment

Environmental assessment, depending on the type of planning it analyzes, is divided into:

• Strategic environmental assessment (SEA): applied to plans and programs.
• Environmental impact assessment (EIA): focused on assessing the specific environmental impacts of project implementation through detailed technical studies that allow corrective and compensatory measures to be established to minimize adverse effects on the environment. These range from Environmental Impact Studies (EIS) to Environmental Impact Statements (EIS).

Turning environmental assessment into a driver of innovation

With so many regulations and planning requirements, environmental assessment has become a mere administrative formality to legitimize decisions considered valid and, in some cases, with long institutionalized responses, which hinders and slows down its implementation.

But when done well, environmental assessment ceases to be an obstacle and becomes a driver of innovation and quality. From there, plans and projects not only respect the environment, but can also generate synergies with the community, enhance the value of the territory, and ensure more sustainable development.

To achieve this, the following factors, among others, must be taken into account:

• Integrate environmental assessment from the planning and alternative study phase.
• Open up citizen participation to avoid NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) situations.
• Improve public and transparent monitoring of the environmental status of the territory, in line with the proposed corrective measures.
• Coordinating territorial planning with sustainability and climate emergency objectives.

Conclusion

Environmental assessment should not be merely an administrative formality, but a strategic tool that responds to the needs of environmental protection and preservation with regard to territorial planning and transformation resulting from current urban and economic growth.

Only by integrating sustainability and environmental vision together from the outset, and with the participation of the community itself, can we build a balanced future that respects the environment around us.