FINAL EXAMINATION

ENVIRONMENTAL BASED PLANNING

YASINTA Y.N.A. / 136060112111004
1. SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION AND PARAMETERS
Sustainability is one of the worlds most talked about but least understood
words. Its meaning is often clouded by differing interpretations and by a tendency for
the subject to be treated superficially. For most companies, countries and individuals
who do take the subject seriously the concept of sustainability embraces the
preservation of the environment as well as critical development-related issues such
as the efficient use of resources, continual social progress, stable economic growth,
and the eradication of poverty.
There are few criteria that explain about sustainable construction I found on few
books I just read, and I will resume it here:
1.1. Reducing Energy in Use
Careful thought given to energy efficiency at the design stage of the building will
lead to a greatly reduced environmental impact as well as making the house much
cheaper to run. For example:
1.1.1. Use maximum possible low embodied energy insulation, but with good
ventilation
1.1.2. Use low energy lighting and electrical appliances
1.1.3. Use efficient, low pollution heating
1.1.4. Make use of passive and active solar energy wherever feasible
1.1.5. Use passive and natural ventilation systems rather than mechanical

1.2. Minimizing External Pollution and Environmental Damage

As far as possible, all houses should be constructed with materials which avoid
the use of toxic and carcinogenic substances. For example:
1.2.1. Design in harmonious relationship with the surroundings
1.2.2. Avoid destruction of natural habitats
1.2.3. Re-use rainwater on site

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1.2.4. Treat and recycle waste water on site if possible
1.2.5. Try to minimize extraction of materials unless good environmental controls
exist and avoid materials which produce damaging chemicals as a by product
1.2.6. Do not dump waste materials off site but re-use on site

1.3. Reducing Embodied Energy and Resource Depletion

Giving consideration to the materials used in every aspect of the buildings
construction will ensure that their adverse environmental impacts are minimized. Plot
owners will be encouraged to collaborate with the company in ordering materials in
bulk where this might provide savings and particularly where alternative materials
such as organic paints, certified timber and PVC free cabling have to be imported
from abroad. A central store of secondhand materials will also be set up on the
site. For example:
1.3.1. Use locally sourced materials
1.3.2. Use materials found on site
1.3.3. Minimizes use of imported materials
1.3.4. Use materials from sustainably managed sources
1.3.5. Keep use of materials from non-renewable sources to a minimum
1.3.6. Use low energy materials, keeping high embodied energy materials to a
minimum
1.3.7. Use second hand/recycled materials where appropriate
1.3.8. Re-use existing buildings and structures instead of always assuming that new
buildings are required

1.4. Minimizing Internal Pollution and Damage to Health

For example:
1.4.1. Use nontoxic material, or low emission materials
1.4.2. Avoid fibers from insulation materials getting into the atmosphere
1.4.3. Ensure good natural ventilation
1.4.4. Reduce dust and allergens
1.4.5. Reduce impact of electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
1.4.6. Create positive character in the building and relationship with site

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1.4.7. Involve users in design and management of building and evaluating
environmental choices

2. STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESMENT (SEA)

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a systematic decision support
process, aiming to ensure that environmental and possibly other sustainability
aspects are considered effectively in policy, plan and program making. The purpose
of SEA is to integrate environmental considerations (social, economic, biophysical)
into strategic decision-making, to facilitate the move towards sustainability.

2.1. The Strategy will be developed within the context of existing legislation, policies,
NEMA (National Environmental Management Act), plans including National,
Provincial, and Local Integrated Development plans. The Strategy will need to
respond to the current legislative context but should also influence it
(Wikipedia.org).
2.2. SEA is a systematic process for evaluating the environmental consequences of
proposed policy, plan, or program initiatives in order to ensure they are fully
included and appropriately addressed at the earliest appropriate stage of
decision-making on par with economic and social considerations (Sadler dan
Verheem, 1996).
2.3. SEA is a process directed at providing a holistic understanding of the
environment and social implications of the policy proposal. The intention of SEA
is moving PPP towards sustainable outcomes (Brown and Thrivel, 2000)
2.4. SEA is to be conceptualized as a framework, which address environmental
quality and environmental consequences (Partidrio, 2000)

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Based on explanation on few authors above, strategic meaning in SEA are:

Policy: a general course of action or proposed overall direction that a

government is or will be pursuing and that guides ongoing decision-making.

Plan: a purposeful, forward-looking strategy or design, often with co-ordinated

priorities, options and measures that elaborate and implement the policy.

Program: a coherent organized agenda or schedule of commitments,

proposals, instruments and/or activities that elaborates and implements the
policy.

3. ENVIRONMENTAL

IMPACT

ASSESSMENT

(EIA)

AND

ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT (EA)

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a formal process used to predict
the environmental consequences (positive or negative) of a plan, policy, program, or
project prior the implementation decision, it proposes measures to adjust impacts to
acceptable levels or to investigate new technological solution. Although an
assessment may lead to difficult economic decisions and political and social
concerns, environmental impact assessments protect the environment by providing a
sound basis for effective and sustainable development.
The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision makers consider the
environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to proceed with a project. The
International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) defines an environmental
impact assessment as "the process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and
mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development
proposals prior to major decisions being taken and commitments made." EIAs are
unique in that they do not require adherence to a predetermined environmental
outcome, but rather they require decision -makers to account for environmental
values in their decisions and to justify those decisions in light of detailed
environmental studies and public comments on the potential environmental impacts.
Environmental Audit (EA) is a general term that can reflect various types of
evaluations intended to identify environmental compliance and management system
implementation gaps, along with related corrective actions. In this way they perform

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an analogous (similar) function to financial audits. There are generally two different
types of environmental audits: compliance audits and management systems audits.
Compliance audits tend to be the primary type in the US or within US-based
multinationals.
Relationship between EIA and EA
To simply put it Environmental Impact Assessment is carried out to analyses the
impact on the environment before a large scale or important project is implemented.
According to the United Nations Environment Program: EIA is a structured approach
for obtaining and evaluating environmental information prior to its use in decisionmaking in the development process. This information consists, basically, of
predictions of how the environment is expected to change if certain alternative
actions are implemented and advice on how best to manage environmental changes
if one alternative is selected and implemented. Until relatively recently, with a few
notable exceptions, EIA focused on proposed physical developments such as
highways, power stations, water resource projects and large-scale industrial
facilities. Slowly, but increasingly, its scope of application is expanding to include
policies, plans and other actions which also form part of the development process.
Decision-makers

are

provided,

by

EIA,

with

information

(and

often

recommendations) on the anticipated consequences of their choices. EIA is,

therefore, a management tool with technical input, not a technical aid with 'add on'
management aspects. This distinction is crucial to an understanding of the objectives
of EIA and how it can best be implemented.
The use of EIA has been formalized by the introduction of national laws and
regulations and, in some cases, policies which establish systems of institutionalized
procedures to ensure that all proposed physical development, expected to be
environmentally damaging, is assessed prior to authorization and possible
implementation.
Environmental audits are intended to quantify environmental performance and
environmental position. In this way they perform an analogous function to financial
audits. An environmental audit report ideally contains a statement of environmental

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performance and environmental position, and may also aim to define what needs to
be done to sustain or improve on indicators of such performance and position.
Environmental Auditors can get certified through written exam and acceptance of
the Environmental Auditor Association code of ethics. Depending on the nature of
the audit, there are several different designations to choose from.

Environmental auditing started developing at the beginning of 70s of the past

century in the United States of America and in the Western Europe. In that period the
developed countries were adopting the environmental legislation in order to reduce
the harmful consequences of the companies' actions that had affected the
environment. At the beginning the environmental auditing involved reviews of
independent experts assessing whether companies operated in line with the
demands of the environmental legislation. Presently the companies decide to
undertake environmental audits in order to obtain an independent external
assessment whether the management has created efficient environmental policy and
provided for acceptable environmental attitude. The most important results of the
environmental audits are recommendations how a company can reduce the
damaging impacts on the environment in an efficient and cost-benefit manner, and
how it can in a long-term save funds by using environment friendly technology. The
implementation of the environmental audits is not obligatory for the companies never

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the less it shows high awareness of the companies on their social responsibilities
and an overall attitude towards the environment.
Greater awareness and understanding of environmental issues have led the
supreme audit institutions (SAI) to recognize the key role of the state in defining
appropriate measures for reducing the damaging consequences for the environment;
for the efficient and effective solutions of environmental problems. The increasing
concern has influenced the SAIs to introduce the environmental auditing in the public
sector. Environmental auditing in the public sector encompasses independent and
objective assessments whether:

The governments implement the international agreements on environmental

protection,

There is a complete and appropriate institutional framework for the efficient

protection and preservation of the environment,

There is an efficient control over the implementation of the national legislation

in order to realize the set strategic objectives of protection and preservation of
the environment,

There is provided for the appropriate use of public funds for the assessment
and for solving of the environmental problems.

Methods are using to EIA

Industrial products - Product environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) is used

for identifying and measuring the impact of industrial products on the
environment. These EIAs consider activities related to extraction of raw
materials, ancillary materials, equipment; production, use, disposal and
ancillary equipment.

Genetically modified plants - Specific methods available to perform EIAs of

genetically modified organisms include GMP-RAM and INOVA.

Fuzzy logic - EIA methods need measurement data to estimate values of

impact indicators. However many of the environment impacts cannot be
quantified, e.g. landscape quality, lifestyle quality and social acceptance.
Instead information from similar EIAs, expert judgment and community

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sentiment are employed. Approximate reasoning methods known as fuzzy
logic can be used.
Methods are using to EA
The term "protocol" means the checklist used by environmental auditors as
the guide for conducting the audit activities. There is no standard protocol, either in
form or content. Typically, companies develop their own protocols to meet their
specific compliance requirements and management systems. Audit firms frequently
develop

general

protocols

that

can

be

applied

to

broad

range

of

companies/operations.
Current technology supports many versions of computer-based protocols that
attempt to simplify the audit process by converting regulatory requirements into
questions with "yes", "no" and "not applicable" check boxes. Many companies and
auditors find these useful and there are several such protocol systems commercially
available. Other auditors (typically those with many years of environmental auditing
experience) use the regulations/permits directly as protocols. There is a long
standing debate among environmental audit professionals on the value of large,
highly detailed and prescriptive protocols (i.e., that can, in theory, be completed by
an auditor with little or no technical experience) versus more flexible protocols that
rely on the expertise and knowledge of experienced auditors and source documents
(regulations, permits, etc.) directly. However usage of structured and prescriptive
protocols in ISO 14001 audits allows easier review by other parties, either internal to
the Certification Body (e.g. technical reviewers and certification managers) or
external (accreditation bodies).
In the US, permits for air emissions, wastewater discharges and other
operational aspects, many times establish the primary legal compliance standards
for companies. In these cases, auditing only to the regulations is inadequate.
However, as these permits are site specific, standard protocols are not commercially
available that reflect every permit condition for every company/site. Therefore, permit
holders and the auditors they hire must identify the permit requirements and
determine the most effective way to audit against those requirements.

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During the past 20 years, advances in technology have had major impacts on
auditing. Laptop computers, portable printers, CD/DVDs, the internet, email and
wireless internet access have all been used to improve audits, increase/improve
auditor access to regulatory information and create audit reports on-site. At one point
in the 1990s, one major company invested significant resources in testing "video
audits" where the auditor (located at the corporate headquarters) used real-time
video conferencing technology to direct staff at a site to carry live video cameras to
specific areas of the plant. While initially promising, this technology/concept did not
prove acceptable.