In the global context are facing serious challenges from climate change and environmental degradation, the integrated solutions to protect the environment in the strategy of economic development becomes more important than ever. Assessment, environmental impact assessment (EIA) emerged as an indispensable tool to help businesses ensure that the activities of production, construction or investment does not cause damage to the natural environment and surrounding communities.
So, the EIA is what? Why this is an integral part in the sustainable development of the business?
This article Lac Viet Computing will bring to you comprehensive information about the role, benefits, how to make URBAN effect, help businesses not only meet legal requirements but also create competitive advantage in the market.
1. Overview of the EIA is what?
1.1 Evaluation, environmental impact assessment (EIA) is what?
EIA – environmental impact Assessment case (Environmental Impact Assessment) is the process of analyzing, predicting and assessing the impact that a project or economic activity can cause to the natural environment, social, economic. This process not only helps to identify the risks but also proposed measures to minimize the negative impact before a project is approved, deployed.
Main characteristics:
- EIA focused on predicting the impact before a project is approved, from there take measures to minimize the fit.
- The process of EIA typically includes steps such as information gathering, impact analysis, construction planning, mitigation and consultation comments from the stakeholders.
Legal basis:
- In Vietnam, the EIA is stipulated in the Law on Environmental protection 2020, which requires the project has the potential to cause major impact to the environment must implement the EIA before starting the deployment.
- The world, the EIA is widely applied according to the international standards such as ISO 14001help businesses ensure compliance with commitment to the global environment.
1.2 target of evaluation of environmental impact
Ensure that projects do not cause serious harm to the environment:
- EIA help determine the risk potential for natural resources, ecosystems and the quality of air, water and land.
- These measures minimize proposed in the process of EIA will help minimize the negative impact, make sure the project does not degrade the environment.
Support business process optimization and risk mitigation:
- Cost optimization: The early detection of environmental problems to help businesses avoid the cost of overcoming the latter, such as the cost of remediation or compensation for damage.
- Minimize legal risks: Meet the requirements of EIA help businesses avoid the legal punishment or to suspend the project due to violation of environmental regulations.
- Improve operational efficiency: The solution proposed in the EIA not only protect the environment but also improving the production process, minimize waste, increase efficiency of resource use.
1.3 Who needs to perform?
Business in the fields of manufacturing, construction, energy and infrastructure:
These areas usually have the level of greenhouse gas emissions, use of natural resources, the ability to negatively impact the natural environment.
The factory industrial is one of the units need to perform impact assessment environment
For example:
- Industrial production: production plant, cement, steel, or chemicals.
- Energy: projects, thermal power plants, hydroelectric or renewable energy on a large scale.
- Construction: construction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airports and industrial zones.
The project risk affect the environment:
- Mining natural resources: projects, mining, oil and gas, wood, forest, or using a large water supply.
- Production of heavy industry: The project in the field of heavy industry, mass production with large scale, often there is the risk of polluting water, air and land.
- Project urban development: new urban Area, residential area, big or resorts have the ability to alter the ecological environment, social.
2. Implementation process assessment report, environmental impact assessment EIA
Step 1: collect information and basic data
Objective: collect complete information about the current state of the environment, natural resources, economic factors – social around the project area to build the initial database for the evaluation.
The main activities:
- Survey locations: perform survey at the scene to gather information about the geology, climate, ecology, social conditions.
For example: Measuring the quality of air, water, land; identify the sensitive areas of the environment (forest, water resources, protected areas). - Collect data: collect information from the environment report earlier, the basis of data from scientific institutions or state agencies.
The required data includes information about biodiversity, natural resources, population, economic conditions, socio–. - Determine the impact range: Specify the range space and the time that the project may affect. This range includes the project area, vicinity impact indirectly.
Step 2: analyze and assess the environment impact
Goal: predict, analyze, and quantify the impact, negative or positive that the project may cause to the natural environment, social, economic.
The main activities:
Determine the impact factor:
- Impact on the air: emissions from construction activities and commissioning.
- Impact to water: Source water contaminated by waste.
- The impact to ecosystems: Loss of natural habitat of the plant and animal species.
- Social impact: affects public health or livelihoods of local people.
Use the scientific method: Applicable model analysis tools such as GIS (geographic information System manager), software simulation, air quality, or scale hydrological model to give quantitative results.
Quantitative impact level: specify the level of severity of each impact factor (mild, moderate, severe) and probability of occurrence.
Step 3: construction of measures to minimize the impact
Objective: Given the technical measures, managed to minimize the negative impact to an acceptable level or eliminated completely.
The particular solution:
- For air: Use the device to reduce emissions, such as air filter systems or minimize the dust in the construction process. Construction plans shipping, material storage reasonable to reduce pollution.
- With regard to sources of water: set system wastewater treatment standards before discharge into the environment. Minimize the impact from surface runoff by building systems, collect and dispose of rain water.
- With respect to ecosystems: foresting or construction area ecological replaced if destroyed the natural environment. Protect the plant and animal species, rare in the project area.
- For society: the Organization of the training program or support local people about livelihood if the project affects their lives.
Step 4: public consultation and agency management
Objective: to Ensure transparency and participation of stakeholders in the implementation process of EIA.
Steps taken:
Public consultation:
- Organize meetings or workshops with local residents, non-governmental organizations to collect comments.
- Ensure people understand about the project and measures to minimize the impact.
Get comments from the governing body:
- Send the document to the EIA to the environment agency, professional organization to get feedback.
- Adjust the measure and plan projects according to the recommendations from the agency management.
Step 5: Submission review environmental impact
Goal: Complete the legal procedures, agency management approval of the project.
Submission process:
- Prepare profile assessment report, environmental impact assessment EIA report should include full information about the project, impact prediction, measures to minimize. The statement must specify the index of the emission standards applicable, the time taken measures to minimize.
- Submission: record environmental impact assessment case be sent to the Department of Environment and natural resources or authority to appraisal.
- Appraisal approved by: governing Body will hold the council reviews, fact-checking, given the decision to approve or require adjustment.
Implementation process the EIA not only ensures projects comply with the law but also to help businesses minimize risk, optimize costs, enhance credibility in the eyes of the community, investors. Business needs to focus on each step, from initial survey to final approval, to ensure project sustainability, environmentally friendly.
3. The role and benefits of EIA for business
3.1. Ensure compliance with the law
In the context of environmental regulation is increasingly rigorous, EIA is a tool important legal help businesses comply with regulations to protect the environment. In Vietnam, the project required to perform EIA follow Environmental protection law 2020.
Work not done or done incorrectly specified can lead to serious consequences such as:
- Is administrative penalty with large sums of money.
- Suspension or revocation of a license, operation of the project.
- Damage your reputation and lose the trust from partners and customers.
Benefits from compliance: Business not only avoid penalties, but also create a platform solid legal help project smoothly, long lasting.
3.2. Enhanced risk management
- Minimize financial risks: EIA help businesses identify, control early risk related to the environment such as air pollution, water, or land. These precautions, this can reduce the cost of overcoming the latter.
- Control legal risks: When the project is evaluated, approved by the EIA, the business will avoid legal disputes related to the environment, while minimizing the risk of litigation from community or organization to protect the environment.
- Protect credits: The environmental problem is often caused crisis communication seriously. Well done EIA help businesses maintain positive image in the public eye.
3.3. Support business decisions
EIA give businesses a comprehensive picture of the risks and opportunities related to the environment of the project. From there, businesses can take strategic decisions based on scientific data rather than guessing.
Through the EIA, the business can identify solutions to optimize resources, minimize waste, at the same time integrate sustainability factors into business plan.
The analysis from EIA to help businesses determine whether the project is feasible or not, there should invest resources in that project or choose another embodiment, more profitable.
3.4. Enhance brand value
- Construction business image blue: Made of good EIA shows corporate responsibility to the community and the environment, thereby improving the reputation, brand value.
- Attract customers, investors: In the context of the standard ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is increasingly considered important, the implementation of EIA and help business meet the expectations of investors, customers, business partner, big.
- Create competitive differentiation: Business perform EIA effective not only built positive image but also create competitive advantage compared to the rivals do not attach importance to environmental factors.
Business implementation EIA help built positive image, creating competitive advantage compared to the rivals
3.5. Contribute to sustainable development
- Meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs): the EIA is an important tool for business to contribute to the goals for sustainable development worldwide, especially goals related to environmental protection, climate (SDG 13 – Climate Action).
- Minimize bad effect: Thanks to the measures to minimize built-in the process of EIA, businesses can significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment, protection of resources for future generations.
- Encourage innovation and application of green technology: EIA create incentives for business innovation technology, applying smart solutions, environmentally friendly, from which optimize the production efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
4. The actual figures related to assessment, environmental impact assessment EIA
4.1. Statistics of the effectiveness of EIA on global
Report of Program united Nations Environment (UNEP) pointed out that the implementation of the EIA properly has helped reduce the average 25%-40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial projects, large. This clearly demonstrates that the EIA is not just a legal tool which is also important means to control pollution.
The research in Europe shows, the national applied seriously EIA such as Germany and Norway have substantially reduced degradation of ecosystems, with the proportion of forest restoration reach 85% in areas affected by project construction of major infrastructure.
An analysis of The world Bank (World Bank), for see, the project has implemented the EIA has been reduced by an average of 20%-30% of the cost of crisis management environment compared to the project do not perform. This is clearly evidenced for financial benefits, while complying with the process of EIA.
4.2. The success of the project implementation of EIA in Vietnam
- Project hydro power plant Son La:
Before construction, the EIA has help projects identify areas of ecological sensitivity and propose solutions to resettle more than 20,000 households affected.
Results: minimizing environmental impact, ensuring sustainable development, at the same time strengthen support from the local community.
- Project VSIP:
Water treatment system, waste of vietnam-singapore industrial park in Binh Duong is built based on recommendations from the EIA, which helps to reduce 95% of industrial waste water does not reach the standard before discharge into the environment.
Success: The industry is highly rated models green, attract more international investors, thanks to a reputation for environmental protection.
- Project solar energy in Ninh Thuan:
Perform the EIA has helped project identified the potential impact such as reducing the area of arable land and proposed measures to offset by economic support for the local population.
Results: The project not only reduced 300,000 tons of CO2 per year, but also contribute to the economic development of the region.
5. International trends on the evaluation of environmental impact
Technological applications of chemistry in the implementation of EIA:
- Information system, geographical (GIS): GIS is increasingly common use to collect data analysis environment. This technology allows businesses to assess the impact of projects in an intuitive way, more accurate, thereby improving the quality of the EIA report.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): The AI engine can predict the environmental impact based on the model complex data to help optimize the evaluation process and reduce the time taken to 40%.
Apply the international standard:
- ISO 14001: the standard environmental management is widely applied, help construction business management system environmental impact efficiency and enhanced reputation in the international market.
- Principles of The world Bank: projects using loans from The world Bank often asked to perform EIA according to international standards, help businesses access to capital easier, to increase transparency.
Convert numbers in environmental management: The advanced nations are growing platform digitized to manage the entire process of EIA, from collecting data to approval. For example, Singapore has implemented the online system allows businesses to submit a report and track the approval process EIA fast, transparent.
Assessment, environmental impact assessment EIA is not only a regulatory but also a strategic solutions to help businesses navigate to the sustainable development, enhance brand value. The implementation of EIAS right way not only ensures that project to minimize the negative impact on the environment, but also create opportunities, improve business performance, strengthen corporate reputation. In the context of green transformation and sustainable development is becoming inevitable trend, the EIA is the key to business immersed in this flow an effective way. Let's start building the sustainable today with EIA!
