strategic environmental assessment in energy sector revised

8/2/2019 Strategic Environmental Assessment in Energy Sector Revised

1/11

SCHOOL OF THE BUILT & NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

IN ENERGY SECTOR

By

RUSMAN RIANTO

(200812540)

EETEM25

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING & IMPACT ASSESSMENT

SECOND ATTEMPT COURSEWORK


2/11

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN

ENERGY SECTOR

1. INTRODUCTIONIn recent modern day, the acceleration of economic development and modernisation is

affecting the ecology and biodiversity significantly throughout the world, open spaces are

depleted, environment have been polluted. Hereafter many of the people who care to the

environment has made various efforts to protect the nature of these activities. One of the efforts

to overcome the degradation of environment quality is the Strategic Environmental Assessment

(SEA). This procedure is designed to ensure that the environmental implication of certain actions

can be taken into account before policies, plans and programs are carried out. SEA cover vast

majority of plans and programmes prepared for agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, industry,

transport, waste management, water management, telecommunications, tourism, town and

country planning or land use.

Currently, the evolving and the testing of various approaches and determining effectiveness

the practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) internationally is important in the

development of best practice. A consultation amongst all stakeholders at all levels is one of the

issues that will assist in promoting the effective implementation of SEA, and thereby promotingthe integration of the objectives of sustainability into strategic decision-making.

In this report attempts to describe SEA and its roles and what the methodologies are can be

used to achieve sustainable energy development. The report will also justify the benefits of SEA

within the energy sector in particular, and how it is applied in different countries, in general.

2. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) DefinitionSEA is a set of tools or a process for analysing and addressing the environmental and health

effects of proposed policies, plans, and programmes or other strategic initiatives such as

legislation or regulations. SEA can be applied at all stages and tiers of decision-making and at

the local, regional or national level. In the other words, SEA is guidance for decision-making to

achieve a number of important environmental objectives and sustainable development aims.


3/11

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is widely regarded as a better methodology to

take into account the environmental impacts of policies, plans and programs. The development

and adoption of SAE in the last decade has been impressive. Provisions for formal SEA has been

made by some countries, especially in Europe and North America, but with some famous

examples in other places. Settings and procedures for SEA are relatively diverse in different

countries (Tang T, 2005; Obbard J. P, 2007), although several possible levels of standardization

will take place when the European Directive on SEA applied to the year 2004.

3. The Role of SEAThe determination of SEA role can be take place in the decision-making process which can

be seen as a hierarchy. Policies are at the top of this hierarchy in support of long term goals.

Plans or a programme of actions with time lines and targets gives a greater definition to these

policies. They are ultimately put into effect by projects on the ground. SEA ensures the higher

orders of this hierarchy taking into account environmental threats and opportunities and it can be

used to assess a proposed policy, plan or programme that has already been developed; or it can

be used to develop, evaluate and modify a policy, plan or programme during its formulation.

This distinction is dependent on the stage in the decision-making process at which the SEA is

undertaken and the stakeholders involved.

SEA can be regarded to be more effective than project EIAs at examining large-scale

impacts, because they are rather more influenced by strategic alternatives than by project

alternatives. In some countries, the United States for example, SEA has been carried out as an

extension of project EIA, but in Europe it is viewed as a valuable tool for achieving sustainable

development. But, even in Europe though, SEA is linked to the process of project EIA in that it

too considers the impacts of a PPS on a range of environmental receptors, including biodiversity,

populations, human health, fauna, flora, soil, water, air, climatic factors and, material assets.

SEA also possible to promote as an integrated system of planning by identifying suitable

locations for development and in the evaluation of alternative PPPs. Relatively important,

environmental decisions are often made in PPPs which enable the consideration of alternatives

which are relevant to large-scale impacts, at appropriate levels.


4/11

Generally, the steps of Strategic Environment Assessment comprise four stages as

follows:

- Pre-ScreeningThis stage is an initial stage where the authority is giving the opinion about the PPPs that

if it has no or minimal environmental effects then The PPPs may be judged exempt. Due

to the test of no or minimal environmental effects should be difficult to meet, as a

consequence if there is doubt that has no minimal effect , the PPPs should be done a

formal screening.

- Screening stage.In this stage, the opinion is to be made by the authority whether or not a plan is likely to

have significant environmental effects. Then the next step in this stage is the established

opinion must be formally consulted with the consultation authorities such as

environmental bodies to seek their views prior to making a determination about

undertaking SEA.

- ScopingScopingsets out in more detail the areas of likely significant impact and requires a formal

consultation with the consultation authorities to identify the scope. The scoping can be

done by using matrices, overlays, and case comparisons of the significant effects on the

environment, including on biodiversity, population, human health, wildlife, soil, water,

air, climate, cultural, heritage and landscape.

- ConsultationIn this stage, the draft PPPs and Environmental Report is required to be consulted. The

environmental report has to describe the effects on the environment of the PPPs and its

alternatives that can be identified by the environmental assessment. Throughout these

stages, environmental data collation will have been on-going.


5/11

- Post-AdoptionPost-Adoption is the stage at which the statement is required to regulate how the

consultation responses and findings of the environmental report have been considered

carefully in the preparation of PPPs.

- MonitoringMonitoring the significant effects of the implementation of a PPPs helps to ensure that the

effectiveness of mitigation measures can be determined, as well as providing for the

identification of any unforeseen adverse effects at an early stage.

4.

Cost and Benefit of SEA

As in European Community study on the benefits of EIA indicates that introducing SEA to

regional and local land use planning usually increased planning cost by 5-10%. This study also

found examples of good SEAs that increased planning costs by less than 5% (UNDP, 2010).

These costs can be regarded as marginal compared with the overall costs of implementation of

plans, programs and policies and with the costs that might be incurred by environmental damage.

Most of the costs linked to the application of SEA are in the early stages of developmentmethodology when establishing the appropriate form of SEA. Hereinafter SEA tends to be less

costly because they can build on previous experience and may require only standard analytical

work and process management.

SEA has some definite minimum costs. However the benefits of SEA can be much more

variable. If SEA is carried out late, by people who have no influence over the plan-making

process and who see it as a legally required obstacle, and under-funded, then it is unlikely to lead

to many benefits. Benefits of applying an SEA have for both decision-making procedures and

development outcomes. Therivel (2006) also concluded that in terms of costs and benefits, SEA

has some definite minimum costs, typically in terms of time-by planning officers, consultants,

statutory consultees and the public. The benefits include improvements to the plan being

assessed, and more intangible changes such as better understanding of the plan. The SEA


6/11

Directive lays out a set of reports, consulting on them, documenting how decisions are made -

which have a definite minimum cost in terms of planners' time and effect on plan-making. SEA

improves planners' awareness of sustainability generally and the plan's sustainability in

particular, and that it makes plan-making more understandable and transparent.

5. The Methodologies of SEA in Energy SectorIn 2003, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) adopted and

SEA Protocol similar to the European SEA Directive as a supplement to its 1991 Trans boundary

Context (the Espoo Convention). The plans, programmes, environmental reports and

consultation requirements are the same to those of the EU Directive, however, the Protocol is

more focused on health impacts; makes more references to public participation; and addresses

policies and legislations, although it only requires SEA of plans and programmes. While the

UNECE Protocol and the European Directive on SEA set out the general requirements for

implementing SEA within member states, the actual mode of application differs widely from one

country to the other. Numerous methodologies for establishing SEA requirements have evolved

to cater to the political, cultural, legal, institutional and planning context of the concerned

country.

Several numbers of methods and tools for assessing environmental impacts in energy sector

have been established. These methodologies are including methods for future studies, Life Cycle

Assessment, Risk Assessment, and The Impact Pathway Approach (Finnveden, et al, 2003).

- Future Study: this method, including modelling forecast and MARKAL, tries to indicate aprobable in the future with the basis on the trends and mechanisms that can be seen in past

years. Future study can then result in a number of scenarios based on some conditional

assumptions. These scenarios are helpful when there is a significant qualitative uncertainty

about the future.

- Life Cycle Assessment: it is a tool to assess the environmental impacts and resources usedthroughout aproducts life from raw material acquisition through production use and disposal.


7/11

In principle, LCA is a comprehensive environmental assessment which is conductedaccording to internationally recognized ISO 14040 standards (Manuilova, A., 2009).

However, not all types of environmental effects are equally well covered in practice. For

example, there is not all emissions are considered. Only the emissions that are allocated to the

functional unit are considered.

- Risk assessment of chemicals and accidents: in chemical risk assessment, the exposureassessment including a description of the nature and size of exposed targets, as well as

magnitude and duration of exposure is combined of with an effect assessment, while in

accident risk assessment more focused on unplanned incidents such as explosions and fires.

- Impact pathway approach: The Impact Pathway Approach (IPA) can be considered as aspecial case of a risk assessment methodology which can be used for the environmental

assessment of different energy systems. The analytical sequence in IPA is handled

systematically. The impact assessment is based on combining information on the exposed

receptor population and the concentration with doseresponse relationships for various

impacts and pollutants.

6. Application of SEA in Various CountriesSEA has been adopted on the national level by many countries such as Canada, The

Netherlands, the United Stated and the UK. Below are examples of some countries SEAs are

analysed:

Canada oil and gas: The application of SEA to the oil industry in the Laurentian Sub-basin

Canada is accounted to the Councils of the Provinces (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador

Offshore Petroleum Board), promoting agents and regulators, responsible for the environmental

protection throughout the whole phases of the offshore activities, from exploration to

decommissioning. The strategic EA of the Laurentian Sub-basin includes: a regulatory overview;

generic description of seismic surveys and well drilling; review of past and potential exploration;

description of the existing biophysical and socio-economic in fishery only environment;

assessment scope and methodology; environmental effects analyses, including cumulative


8/11

environmental effects, on selected Valued Environmental Components; and environmental

planning and management considerations (Celesa L, 2005). This would improve early decision-

making and contribute to more efficient and effective project specific environmental assessment.

The UK: SEA is a mandatory in the UK. Various approaches to conducting strategic

assessments and appraisals are already well developed including environmental appraisal of local

authority land-use plans and sustainability appraisal of regional planning guidance (Fischer,

2010). These existing approaches are being strengthened through implementation of the SEA

Directive. In energy sector, for example, The Department of Trade and Industry voluntarily

initiated a series of SEAs from 1999 for addressing the environmental implication of further

licensing for oil and gas production on the UK continental shelf (UKCS) (Parliamentary office of

Science and Technology, 2004). This could lead them to a sustainable approach on oil

production within in oil and gas basin of UKCS.

Serbia - Windfarm: In 2005, the Parliament of the Republic of Serbia has adopted the Strategy

of Energy Development in the Republic of Serbia by 2015 to define strategy for energy

development including wind turbine for extracting wind energy. The Serbian government

realised that wind turbines are not only socially controversial because of their visual and acoustic

impacts but also ecological impact such as endangering bird, ornito and chiroptera fauna

(Josimovic, 2010). By applying the SEA, it is possible to identify the significances of proposed

planning solutions and the changes in the area, protecting of the subject area requirements and

defining the suitable protection measures and monitoring of the potentially endangered

environmental elements, with necessary public participation in all the stages of the writing of

SEA and its adoption. Hence, the evidence can contribute to the decision making to the

windfarm facilities.

7. ConclusionOne of the main difficulties experienced in most countries in relation to adoption and

operationalisation of SEA is the lack of appropriate methodologies and lack of consistency in

application. SEA guidance often refers to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)-type

analyses but it is often difficult to use the methods associated with EIA in SEA because they are

adjusted for site-specific information and local impacts whereas SEA often is not site-specific


9/11

and can often be primarily concerned with cumulative and indirect impacts. It is now established

in the literature that there is no single best methodology for conducting a strategic

environmental assessment of a policy, plan or program proposal. In Canada, federal departments

and agencies are encouraged to apply appropriate frameworks or techniques, and to develop

approaches tailored to their particular needs and circumstances.

Although SEAs has some definite minimum costs, its benefits can be much more variable. If

an SEA is carried out late, by people who have no influence over the plan-making process and

who see it as a legally required obstacle, and under-funded, then it is unlikely to lead to many

benefits. If it is started early, carried out by people who take it seriously, and given enough time

and resources, then it has the potential to make the plan clearer, more robust and more

sustainable, and to build planners' knowledge of sustainability while increasing awareness of

sustainability issues, or make the plan more sustainable.

SEA prefers approach to look forward and determine the appropriate strategic direction,

practicable course of actions to accomplish it rather than concern SEA with the mitigation of

likely environmental impacts. Numerous SEA reviews, as well as recent SEA case studies,

reflect the importance of a proactive approach to SEA in support of sustainable development. It

can be concluded that an SEA can help decision makers:

To achieve environmentally sound and sustainable development as a pro-active instrumentaddressing the causes of environmental problems rather than simply treating symptoms.

To strengthen policy, plan and programme making processes, - This helps planners anddecision-makers to pro-actively consider both local environmental issues as well as global

environmental problems (such as climate change, acidification, etc.)

To save time and money by avoiding costly mistakes by warning decision-makers at anearly stage about unsustainable development options.

To improve good governance and build public trust and confidence in decision-making. Aproperly undertaken and accountable SEA will enhance credibility of policies, plans and

programmes and may mobilise support of key stakeholders for their implementation.


10/11

8. ReferencesAbaza H., (2005) Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment:

Towards an Integrated Approach. DTIE-ETB, UNEP Ron Bisset BMT Cordah Limited,

(Ed) Barry Sadler pp. 85 to 99

Celesa L and Barnes, L (2005) Applying a Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment

Approach to the Management of Offshore Oil and Gas Development. Available online at:

www.jacqueswhitford.com/.../1_fd1a_Barnespaperoffshoreoilgas104%20_2.pdf

Commission of the European Communities. Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the

effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment. Available online at:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eia

Fischer, T. B., (2010) Reviewing the quality of strategic environmental assessment reports for

English spatial plan core strategies. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 30 (2010)

6269

Finnveden G, et al. (2003)Strategic environmental assessment methodologies: Applications

within the energy sector. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 23 (2003) 91123

Dasgupta, P., (2007). Commentary: The Stern Review's Economics of Climate Change. National

Institute Economic Review No. 199 January 2007. Sage Publications DOI:

10.1177/002795010719900102

Josimovic, B. and Pucar, M., (2010) The strategic environmental impact assessment of electric

wind energy plants: Case study Bavaniste (Serbia). Renewable Energy 35 (2010) 1509

1519.

Manuilova, A. et al, (2009) Should Life Cycle Assessment be part of the Environmental Impact

Assessment? Case study: EIA of CO2 capture and storage in Canada. Energy Procedia 1

(2008) 54115418

Obbard J. P., (2005) Strategic environmental assessment in Hong Kong. Environment

International 31 (2005) 483492
http://www.jacqueswhitford.com/.../1_fd1a_Barnespaperoffshoreoilgas104%20_2.pdfhttp://www.jacqueswhitford.com/.../1_fd1a_Barnespaperoffshoreoilgas104%20_2.pdfhttp://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eiahttp://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eiahttp://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eiahttp://www.jacqueswhitford.com/.../1_fd1a_Barnespaperoffshoreoilgas104%20_2.pdf


11/11

Parliamentary office of Science and Technology, (2004), Post note of Strategic Environmental

Assessment (SEA) Available online at:

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn223.pdf

Tang T. at al, (2007) Integrating environment into land-use planning through strategic

environmental assessment in China: Towards legal frameworks and operational procedures.

Environmental Impact Assessment Review 27 (2007) 243265.

Therivel, R and Walsh F., (2006).The strategic environmental assessment directive in the UK: 1

year onwards. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 26 (2006) 663675

UN (2009) Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in a Trans-boundary

Context. Available online at:

http://www.unece.org/env/eia/documents/legaltexts/conventiontextenglish.pdf
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn223.pdfhttp://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn223.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/env/eia/documents/legaltexts/conventiontextenglish.pdfhttp://www.unece.org/env/eia/documents/legaltexts/conventiontextenglish.pdfhttp://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn223.pdf

strategic environmental assessment in energy sector revised

Documents