Climate Change and Environmental Assessment

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Climate Change and Environmental Assessment

• Incorporating Climate Change into Environmental
  Assessments
• A Review of Selected Case Studies
• by Rick Lee

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CICS

• Not for profit Canadian Corporation
• Campus of University of Victoria
• Work with Government, Business and Individuals
  to apply climate information to improve
  decision-making

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Acknowlegements

• Project Advisory Committee
• Susan Mojgani, Serge Nadon, Dave Broadhurst,
  Roger Street
• MSC EA Committee
• Anne-Marie Henry, Julie Dion, Keith Keddy
• CEAA RD Program Funding
• Ontario Region Project Funding

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Outline

• Study parameters
• Part 1 Climate Change in Selected Environmental
  Assessments
• Part 2 Climate Change Guidance for Environmental
  Assessment

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Background

• Many EA projects are sensitive to climate and
  climate change
• CC in EA usually based on historical data, a
  practice that is questionable given past and
  projected climate change
• Effects of climate change may overwhelm
  historical project design criteria

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Research Framework

• Projects selected by Advisory Committee and by
  CEAA
• With a few exceptions, relevant project
  documentation was selected and provided by
  Environment Canada staff
• Interviewees initially recommended by Advisory
  Committee
• Report structure and development directed by CEAA
  and Advisory Committee

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Criteria Selected Projects

• Climate Change had been identified as an issue
• Potential for project to be affected by climate
  change
• Medium to long time horizon
• Major projects - leave physical imprint on Canada

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Purpose

• Provide an overview as to how climate change had
  been factored into past projects

Focus

• Review of if/how climate was considered
• Identify issues raised lessons learned

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Avoided - not included

• Assessment of importance or impact of CC on the
  projects
• Impact of project on climate change
• Assessment of the level of climate understanding
  at the time of the project
• Commentary on whether climate change should have
  been included or not

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Projects Reviewed

• Diavik Diamond Mines, NWT
• Cascade Heritage Park Power, BC
• Confederation Bridge, PEI/NB
• Decommissioning of Elliot Lake Uranium Mines,
  Ont.
• Selective Dredging of St. Lawrence River, Que
• Little Bow Reservoir/Highwood Diversion Project,
  Alta

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Methodology

• Conduct interviews of proponents, EA
  specialists, and consultants
• Review documentation
• Synthesize findings

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Interviews

• 14 persons participated in 12 interviews
• 7 EC an RA, proponent, consultant, panel member
  and CEAA
• Set questions to start the interview
• Participants shaped the interview - no
  restrictions
• Depended on recollections, some up to a decade ago

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Documentation

• Wide range of public documents
• Memos/letters
• Comprehensive reports
• Panel documents
• Consultant reports
• Scientific reports
• (issue of what information to provide CICS)

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Documentation Review

• Project Description
• Project Milestones
• Climate Change issues
• Environment Canada Review
• Decisions by RA or Panel
• CC science in this EA

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Findings (Interviews Documentation)

• Treatment of CC impact varied considerably from
  project to project
• Some special studies were undertaken
• Use of historical climate data was widespread
  but observational records were lacking in many
  projects need to establish observational program
  asap
• A range of views on CC exist The converted
  the naysayers Interpretive CC is climate
  variability

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Findings (Science/Engineering)

• EA Expectation - science GAP
• Many perceive soft Climate Science need
  evidence projections- 100 yrs
• Lack of precision expectation of predictions
  whereas uncertainty (future climate expressed in
  probable ranges) not embraced viewed as weakness
  not strength
• Range of outcomes poses translation problem
  engineering
• Need for all parties to be better informed about
  CC and engineering needs

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Findings (CC Application)

• CC information did influence design in many cases
  - analogues, estimates, no scenarios
• Sometimes CC thought inadequate for decision
  making
• Difference in scale between GCMs and project
  needs
• Two cases CC not considered
• Lack of guidelines to incorporate CC (need
  step-by-step guide, policy)

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Findings (Capacity)

• Lack of capacity in private sector for CC work
• Dual role of EA specialist as federal authority
  and advisors
• Need for communication of knowledge outside
  university government to proponents and
  consultants - workshops, seminars, Web

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Findings (CC or not?)

• CC is larger than individual projects consider
  regional climate change planning
• Obligation to address CC is unclear expectations
  should be clearly spelled out in EIS guidelines
• Consideration of CC should not be automatic tie
  consideration to significance of impact

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Interviewees Climate Change/EA Guide

• CEAA context - The target audience includes EA
  practitioners, proponents, RAs and consultants
• Written for EA practitioner, proponents, RA and
  consultants
• Climate change educational component
• Policy statement on CC in EA
• Simplified decision tree to determine if climate
  change is an issue, factors, issues
• Step-by-step procedure - how to
• Info on reliability uncertainty of CC
  projections
• Sources of CC information Web/federal

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Conclusions

• Six important projects during decade of
  dramatically increasing knowledge about CC
• Gaps between Science, EA and Engineering
  communities needs to be bridged
• How? Communication, improved science, practical
  guidelines