Link between safeguards and climate changeEntebbe, November 26, 2010, dusted off August 2015

Jean-Roger MercierConsultant,

ORQR.3

The World Bank’s current policies – often called “safeguards” – were developed over the last 20 years to help identify, avoid, and minimize harms to people and the environment. These safeguards require borrowing governments to address certain environmental and social risks in order to receive Bank financing for development projects.

Source: http://consultations.worldbank.org/consultation/review-and-update-world-bank-safeguard-policies

Safeguards - Definition

Evidence is piling up on the strong and robust relationships between safeguards and climate change:◦ Climate refugees (by the million? Definition issue)◦ Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from large

infrastructure projects: criteria for analysis of alternatives

◦ Impacts of climate hazards on projects (e.g. vulnerable – coastal – areas).

Vice versa, the perspective for large-scale climate change (CC) activities and the need to make them « clean » beg for safeguarding projects, plans, programs as well as CC policies.

Macro Vision

A timely concern (in 2010)

“The impacts of CC need to be assessed using the methods and tools of Impact Assessment (IA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and the science of climate change, specifically using probability-based regional climate projections that recognize the inherent uncertainties of prediction”

Robert Watson, IPCC Chair (1997-2002)

Key note - Excerpt

What effects will CC have on the feasibility, viability and long-term sustainability of policies, plans, programs or projects?

Will CC exacerbate the impacts of a project? To what degree does a project, program, policy or

intervention promote reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions?

How can flexibility in responding to the impacts of CC be assured through IA?

How can IA apply CC projections to site-specific projects?

What tools does IA offer for understanding, assessing risk and responding to CC?

Key questions addressed in DC

Integration of climate change concerns in safeguard tools

Integrate environmental and social concerns in CC adaptation and mitigation plans, programs and policies: SESA

Ditto in CC adaptation and mitigation projects: ESA/ESMP

Another way to skin the cat

Integration of climate change concerns in safeguard tools

Integrate environmental and social concerns in CC adaptation and mitigation plans, programs and policies: SESA

Ditto in CC adaptation and mitigation projects: ESA, ESMP

First path

A useful conceptual framework

Also known as « Reverse UKuznets curve ».

« Some evidence supports the claim that environmental health indicators, such as water and air pollution, show the inverted U-shaped curve” – Wikipedia –

Useful as a framework, and also to present the possibility for Africato « leapfrog » - dotted curve -.

Treat CC as one of the core themes of the Environmental and Social Assessment (scoping, terms of reference, coordination and public consultation):

Legal framework (UNFCCC) Project description (vulnerability,

dependence) Baseline study (location, location, location) Impact prediction (medium/long-term) Analysis of alternatives ESMP

A natural child

Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in Environmental Assessment: General Guidance for Practitioners

Prepared byThe [Canada] Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Assessment

November 2003

http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=A41F45C5-1&offset=&toc=hide

One major guidance document

Integrating Climate Change Considerations into Environmental Assessment Addressing Climate Change Uncertainties In Project Environmental Assessments, Dr.

Philip H. Byer, Dr. Julian Scott Yeomans, and Melanie Lalani, Series 2001[HTML version] [Abstract]

Environmental Assessment of Road Infrastructure: Toward the Development of a Regional Framework for Iintegrating Climate Change Factors, Mario Gauthier, Laurent Lepage, Louis Simard, and Valérie Saint-Amant, with Ugo Lachappelle, Series 2002[HTML version] [Abstract]

Evaluation of the ClimAdapt Guide to Incorporating Climate Change into the Environmental Impact Assessment Process, Alan Bell, Norval Collins, Cameron Ells, George de Romily, Alison Rossiter, Robert Young, Series 2002[HTML version] [Abstract]

Incorporating Climate Change Considerations in the Environmental Assessment of Hydroelectric Projects in Eastern and Northern Canada, Professor Bhawan Singh, Sébastien Gagnon, and Nicklaus Davey, Series 2002[HTML version] [Abstract]

Part 1: Review of Climate Change Considerations in Selected Past Environmental Assessments, Rick J. Lee, The Canadian Institute for Climate Studies, Series 2000[HTML version] [Abstract]

Part 2: Climate Change Guidance for Environmental Assessments, Elaine M. Barrow, Rick J. Lee, The Canadian Institute for Climate Studies, Series 2000[HTML version] [Abstract]

Precious resources

http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=7F3C6AF0-1#cc

Integration of climate change concerns in safeguard tools

Integrate environmental and social concerns in climate change adaptation and mitigation plans, programs and policies: SESA

Ditto in climate change adaptation and mitigation projects: ESA, ESMP

Second path

Environmental and social assessment of plans, programmes and policies

Listed as an ADB safeguard tool Practitioners have learned the lessons of the

shortcomings (e.g. timing) of project-level ESA

Perfectly responds to MDG Target 7a ”integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources”

SE(S)A – The new kid on the block

Already adopted by many national (OECD mainly) and regional (notably EU) legislatures

Adopted in South Africa, interestingly as a volunteer tool originally, then institutionalized

Practiced currently in Benin and Ghana. Other? Gradually gaining momentum (e.g. after two

years of hard work in Tunisia) May be the major sustainability design tool

during the next decade

SE(S)A – Dream or reality?

PPPs: plans, programmes and policies (EU limited to plans and programmes)

Three major approaches:◦ Participatory/institutional (« the Dutch way »)◦ Economics-based◦ Impact-based (plans and programmes)

Benefitting from increasingly abundant guidance literature inside/outside OECD context

Responds appropriately to CC search for ways and means to influence policy-making and planning in the sectors and in land-use planning.

Appying SESA to CC PPPs

Integration of climate change concerns in safeguard tools

Integrate environmental and social concerns in climate change adaptation and mitigation plans, programs and policies: SESA

Integrate environmental and social concerns in climate change adaptation and mitigation projects: ESA, ESMP

Third path

ESA as a new way of doing business (safety belt) Any given CC project very likely to raise social

and environmental issues (resettlement, biodiversity, land use,….)

ESA as a mechanism for improved definition of area of influence, accountability enhancing, multistakeholder preparation and monitoring and transparency,

Responds to specialists’ concerns that CC projects should be optimized, integrated and participative

Applying ESA to CC projects

Responds to the need:◦ Optimizing the project by comparing alternatives in

a rational and transparent manner◦ Enhancing participation through timely public

consultation and information disclosure◦ Integration through a 360° lens

Benefits from abundant guidance based on multidecade international good practices

Increasing taking risks into account while keeping the other eye on impacts. Need to move to Impact and Risk Assessment anyhow.

Why ESA as preferred tool?

The International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) has a historical lead:

http://www.iaia.org For ODA-specific resources, several among

which:http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/21/37353858.pdf The World Bank’s SEA toolkit at  

http://go.worldbank.org/XIVZ1WF880

Useful resources