ID: 2039
Presenting Author: Júlio Jesus
Session: 540 - Transformative IA - System Changing Leadership and Communication
Status: pending
Reflections based on professional experience on the role of EIA leadership in achieving the best environmental, social and sustainability outcomes
EIA is a universally recognized tool that should contribute to more sustainable projects. However, it is often reduced to a huge data collection effort and a legal compliance procedure, overshadowing opportunities to explore alternatives and influence projects.
EIA practice often limits itself to strictly complying with regulations, ignoring relevant aspects that fall outside the legal scope.
From my personal experience as an EIA consultant, most EIA reports are focused on the baseline and on the “blind” application of, sometimes sophisticated, impact methodologies, giving no attention to influencing the project. And, from the consenting bodies the emphasis is the fulfilment of legal requirements and the quality of the baseline data even when it is almost irrelevant to the likely significant impacts of a project.
The success of an EIA depends above all on the interaction with both project managers and development decision-makers. This interaction is what allows the project to be influenced, alternatives to be explored (including micro-alternatives about project design), and the project to be made more sustainable.
For this to happen, the EIA team leader should assume a leadership role as early as possible so that this interaction is meaningful. EIA consultants must take on this leadership role as project influencers.
Suggestions for actions to improve EIA leadership will be presented.
EIA professional with almost 40 years of experience as consultant, head of public institute in charge of public participation, advisory of the Government on EIA regulation, and trainer.