How can you align an EIA report with the UN Sustainable Development Goals?

Aligning an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) involves integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations into the assessment process. Identify Relevant SDGs, Incorporate SDGs into Scoping, Stakeholder Engagement, Impact Assessment, Mitigation and Enhancement Measures, Social Impact Assessment, Economic Assessment, Transparency and Accountability, Adaptive Management. By integrating these considerations throughout the EIA process, one can enhance the alignment of the project with the UN SDGs and contribute to sustainable development.

Yes, I also think that the SDGs should, as said, take into account the realities of each community, these objectives of these difficulties. Understanding the SDGs in a context where we want to include people is also redefining even the notion of development by continent by country itself

Indeed, the SDGs are supposed to provide a synergistic approach to building a better, prosperous and resilient world economy, thus aligning EIA report to the SDGs would have to in all respects, ensure coherence with the SDG framework. The 17 broad goals of the SDGs have to be in perspective and capture nuanced implications of each policy recommendations not only to the environment but also how linked they are to the other goals.

In a broader sense aligning EIA to SDGs requires a deeper understanding between your project or policy to the SDG goal that is directly related to such a project or policy. It would be a lofty idea to align your business to the 17 SDG goals without a clear-cut objective. SDG goals should rather serve as a guide to measure what should form your business models, its operation pattern and the needs to be addressed. Your EIA can only achieve its aim when it is attending to a clear-cut objective.

I would also like there to be complicity and support from all sub-regional development banks on these sustainable development objectives in this initiative, to allow this time at least the conscience to regulate the basis of traditional activities of our societies according to vital human and ecosystem values.

The first step would be to define the scope, and how they relate to the relevant SDGs that your company is committed to. This entails identifying expected outcomes of you do nothing as well as if you do something. Look at all impacts, both negative and positive, try to minimize negative impacts, and increase positive impacts. Look at all risks, both positive and negative and look to increase positive risks, while minimizing negative risks. Create KPIs and use them as performance indicators. If something is not working see why, abd create a plan to improve on what's not working. Continue with any succes that you're having.

As you identify the relevant SDGs targets for the projects, eyeball the ones that directly or indirectly relate to environment, then link the environmental indicators in the EIA to the specific SDG target. Voilà!

Precisely as stated, and in addition, identify or evaluate how broad-based SDG targets or indicators are in line with local or country-specific targets (indicate or highlight where there are overlaps and include in assessment) as differences exist in terms of country-priorities for each SDG targets. This difference is most certainly evident across developing and developed economies. For eg; in terms of the energy transition and climate change issues, at the minimum, there is differing views as to how the transition should be for developing economies and developed economies.

SDGs when spread present a robust landscape where you can easily identify which among them aligns with your project or policy. However, it becomes necessary not to overcrowd your mix. What should best help you identify the relevant SDGs is conducting an information search and consulting with relevant experts in the areas of the SDGs that align with your project or policy to see which of the SDGs has the element of short and long-term relation with your project or policy.

There is no cookie cutter approach to which SDGs are important to an organization or investor. It is based on many factors such as company size and domain, goals, location, and stakeholders. The relevant SDGs should make sense, and it's unrealistic to do all of them. So a company should focus on what is needed now. They can then plan for the future because the path of a company being sustainable is a never ending process.

Also the response to the SDGs depending on a place at a given time, carrying out an analysis of threats and opportunities should also take into account the timely realities of the response area. So a swot and Heisenwover matrix could be used to map these needs. I really come back to the notion of context and moment

I strongly agree with this submission. However, your EIA might fall short of its intended purpose if the right metrics are not used to measure or if the right SDG goal is not targeted.

It is important to understand all impacts, both positive and negative that your business operations have on stakeholders. All positive impacts need to be assessed, and all negative impacts need to be limited or eliminated. Many opportunities will arise based on company goals and what they plan to achieve, which in turn can make an organization a leader within their industry.

The strength of the EIA in attending to the need of the project or policy is the ability to identify areas that need to be continuously strengthene, while amplifying the areas that need urgent attention.

There is also a liberticidal diet in restaurants and fast food due to the high level of fats harmful to public health in dishes and recipes, which proliferates obesity and heart disease. It would not be useful to make the WHO responsible for regulating this problem public health with the support of the public authorities of all UN member countries? To make some restrictive standards maybe.

Once positive and negative impacts are assessed, create a plan to increase positive impacts, and lessen or eliminate negative impacts. Research is often needed to see the best route in doing this. Once this js done, create an impact matrix with KOIs and measure quarterly or year-to-year.

Communication is one of the main causes of project failures so having the opinion of stakeholders even before the project in terms of communication is a strong point.

Something I find useful in an EIA report is the visualization of such a report and a key indicator of a vibrant EIA report is that it must capture the contribution of key stakeholders.

Communication is key, so a report should be given to decision makers such as the executive board outline the plan and how they can enhance positive risks and impacts, and lessen or negate negative impacts. Ask for feedback from relevant stakeholders and members of the executive board. Investors also should be notified of any new company policies.

I believe this step is very important, the stakeholder’s understanding and commitment is the core to achieve your mitigation plan. As a sustainability manager my work success will always depend on other’s engagement.

An EIA report is an independent verification of facts and is a pre-requisite to the conduct of projects or policies proposed for the enhancement of the SDGs, targets, and indicators. This is because all works done to enhance any of the SDG dimensions (people, planet, prosperity, peace, partnership) shall have an impact on environmental special dimensions, namely geological, atmospheric, and hydrospheric. An EIA report sheds light on human activities, effects of the actions and the impacts on the environment before the development project or policy is implemented. An EIA report must not produce an acceptable compromise but shall search a minimum consensus based on negotiation strategy which must be aligned with the SDGs.

Why not also talk about our experiences and also a sharing of resources for better collaboration in solving the SDGs and adapting solutions to specific problems

If it is possible to lead manufacturers to transform traditional infrastructures into bioclimatic infrastructures, that would be one more step towards a standardized clean planet.