Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into ...
Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into ...
Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into ...
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1. Introducti<strong>on</strong>This secti<strong>on</strong> explains the purpose of the guidance, the approach it adopts, <strong>and</strong> how to use it tointegrate climate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity <strong>into</strong> strategic envir<strong>on</strong>mental assessments (SEA). It isassumed that readers will be familiar with the SEA, so it does not introduce the basic SEA process.1.1 Nature <strong>and</strong> purpose of this guidance<strong>Climate</strong> change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity loss are am<strong>on</strong>g the most important envir<strong>on</strong>mental challenges weface today. Both are complex <strong>and</strong> cross-cutting issues, which impact <strong>on</strong> nearly all human activity.This <str<strong>on</strong>g>Guidance</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Integrating</strong> <strong>Climate</strong> <strong>Change</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Biodiversity</strong> <strong>into</strong> Strategic Envir<strong>on</strong>mentalAssessment (‘the guidance’) aims to help improve the c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> assessment of climatechange <strong>and</strong> biodiversity issues <strong>into</strong> SEAs carried out across the EU Member States, under theDirective 2001/42/EC 2 (‘Strategic Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Assessment’ — ‘the SEA Directive’).The SEA DirectiveThe SEA Directive requires certain publicPPs to undergo an envir<strong>on</strong>mentalassessment before they are adopted.The SEA Directive applies to a wide rangeof public PPs (e.g. <strong>on</strong> l<strong>and</strong> use, transport,energy, waste, agriculture, etc.).PP in the sense of the SEA Directive mustbe prepared or adopted by an authority(at nati<strong>on</strong>al, regi<strong>on</strong>al or local level) <strong>and</strong>be required by legislative, regulatory oradministrative provisi<strong>on</strong>s.The PPs covered by the Directive aresubject to an envir<strong>on</strong>mental assessmentduring their preparati<strong>on</strong>, <strong>and</strong> beforetheir adopti<strong>on</strong>. This includes the drawingup of an envir<strong>on</strong>mental report in whichthe likely significant effects <strong>on</strong> theenvir<strong>on</strong>ment <strong>and</strong> the reas<strong>on</strong>ablealternatives are identified, <strong>and</strong> thecarrying out of c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong>s (with thepublic, the envir<strong>on</strong>mental authorities,<strong>and</strong> with other Member States in thecase of transboundary effects). Theenvir<strong>on</strong>mental report <strong>and</strong> the results ofthe c<strong>on</strong>sultati<strong>on</strong>s are taken <strong>into</strong> accountbefore adopti<strong>on</strong> of the proposed PP.Once a PP is adopted, the envir<strong>on</strong>mentalauthorities <strong>and</strong> the public are informed<strong>and</strong> relevant informati<strong>on</strong> is madeavailable to them. SEA Directive alsorequires m<strong>on</strong>itoring of significantenvir<strong>on</strong>mental effects of the PP in orderto identify unforeseen adverse effects atan early stage of PP implementati<strong>on</strong>.As a legally required <strong>and</strong> specifically defined process,SEAs are an opportunity to systematically integrateclimate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity in a st<strong>and</strong>ardisedapproach <strong>into</strong> plans <strong>and</strong> programmes (PPs) across the EU.This is an opportunity that cannot be missed if Europe is toachieve its envir<strong>on</strong>ment <strong>and</strong> development objectives.This guidance addresses the specific issues <strong>and</strong> challengesthat climate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity bring to SEA;complementary guidance was prepared <strong>on</strong> the integrati<strong>on</strong>of climate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity <strong>into</strong> envir<strong>on</strong>mentalimpact assessments (EIA). The SEA guidance is designed tobe used by competent authorities <strong>and</strong> policymakers,planners, SEA practiti<strong>on</strong>ers <strong>and</strong> other stakeholders acrossthe Member States <strong>and</strong> c<strong>and</strong>idate countries.This guidance highlights how you need to integrate climatechange <strong>and</strong> biodiversity issues effectively <strong>into</strong> the SEAprocess. It is arranged in a way that will encourage usersto think about how important climate change <strong>and</strong>biodiversity — as assessment issues — are likely to be fora specific PP <strong>and</strong> SEA processes.This guidance applies to SEAs carried out for differenttypes of PPs, <strong>and</strong> their revisi<strong>on</strong>s, required under theDirective — it is therefore inevitably generic. It is alsointended to apply across all the Member States <strong>and</strong> theirrespective legislative <strong>and</strong> governance structures, <strong>and</strong> tosupplement rather than c<strong>on</strong>flict with any nati<strong>on</strong>al SEA2 Directive 2001/42/EC of the European Parliament <strong>and</strong> of the Council of 27 June 2001 <strong>on</strong> the assessment of the effects of certain plans<strong>and</strong> programmes <strong>on</strong> the envir<strong>on</strong>ment, OJ L 197, 21.7.2001, p.30.12 <str<strong>on</strong>g>Guidance</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> integrating climate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity <strong>into</strong> SEA