Sustainable Development and International EIA

Question 1

what is Sustainable Development?

Answer 1

In short, sustainable development is the process of developing the world to meet the needs of today, without sacrificing the needs the agility we have to meet the needs of the world tomorrow.

Question 2

4 Principles of Sustainable Development

Answer 2

1. Integration Principle
2. Polluter Pay
3. Precautionary Principle
4. Intergeneration Equity

Question 3

Rio Declaration, Principle #17

Answer 3

in 1992 this was the UN conference that shifted the focus on the world to become more protecting of the environment.

Principle #17: States that Environmental Impact Assessment should be used as a national instrument when we are uncertain on the effects that our development will have on the environment.

Question 4

Integration Principle

Answer 4

Advocating for an integration of not only the financial factors in regards to decision making, but also the social and environmental factors as well.

Question 5

Polluter Pay

Answer 5

Make the party responsible for producing pollution pay compensation for the damages they have caused on the environment.

Question 6

Precautionary Principle

Answer 6

Just because we don’t fully understand the environmental scientific effects of something, doesn’t mean we should go through with it. We should implement as many cost effective measures possible and if we are still worried we should not go through with the project at all.

Question 7

Integenerational Equity

Answer 7

Kind of the “think of the children argument”, meaning we should not make decisions that benefit us if they cause harm to somebody else. You can think of this as a Pareto Efficient Outcome.

Question 8

Presidential Perrogative

Answer 8

In America, when the president makes a decision that the EPA or the ensuing public do not agree with, you can not take his decision under Judicial Review as he has what is called a presidential prerogative.

Question 9

New Zealand AEE

Answer 9

New Zealand is known for its comprehensive and well thought out environmental legislation. Known as the Resource Management Act, New Zealand treats sustainable management as a cornerstone of its legislation. There EIA is called an AEE: Assessment of Environmental Effects

Question 10

India EPA

Answer 10

In India, their environmental regulations have gotten significantly better since the Bhopal gas leak. However there are some things that have no provision for an EIA.

• Deforestation
• Land Resettlement
• Weapons Testing
• Waste Disposal and Radioactive Substances
• Major Dams and Pipeline Projects

Question 11

England EIA

Answer 11

There EIA is identical to that of all the EU countries (Though it might change with Brexit). There EIA is unique in that it applies to both public and private projects, however this is no different than Canada in the sense that both private and public projects will automatically trigger the CEAA.

England has sort of a weak Judicial Review process however are they are heavily focused on development. If they wanted too, the European Court of Justice could step in.

Question 12

NAFTA Environmental Agreement

Answer 12

The members of NAFTA have a side agreement that enforces environmental regulations for all three countries, except there are often disagreements between countries.

Question 13

Worldbank

Answer 13

Does do EIAs and has rejected at least one project before but their focus is more on development.

Question 14

Climate Change

Answer 14

It has been difficult to incorporate Climate change in the EIAs as it is a problem that is not localized or instantly obvious, it is a world wide problem with no single seperable contributor.

Question 15

International Law

Answer 15

There is international law for EIAs and a case was once created between Argentina and Uraguay.