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Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

ISSN 2095-2201

ISSN 2095-221X(Online)

CN 10-1013/X

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2018 Impact Factor: 3.883

Front Envir Sci Eng    0, Vol. Issue () : 598-607    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-013-0496-1
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Integration of climate change considerations into environmental impact assessment — implementation, problems and recommendations for China
I-Shin CHANG1, Jing WU2()
1. College of Environment and Resources, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot 010021, China; 2. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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Abstract

Climate change plays an important role in affecting and altering the course of human development. So far, there have been no effective and efficient techniques to directly quantify the influences of climate change on human development, but there have been rough estimation and qualitative description of the effects. Since the 1990s, climate change considerations have been required to be included in environmental impact assessment, which is a flexible institutional framework of environmental risk evaluation and management. However, there have been no concrete achievements demonstrated. The purpose of this study was first to summarise the practical experience and to disclose the existing problems during the implementation of the process of integrating climate change considerations into environmental impact assessment in China through a case study. Currently in China, the practice of integrating climate change considerations into environmental impact assessment is mainly concentrated on the strategic environmental assessment level. The influences of climate change were identified as energy consumption, greenhouse gases emission, and the restraint of development under abnormal or extreme weather or climate conditions. Because of a lack of related technical guidelines and practical experience, the climate change considerations that have been selected and the evaluation methods that have been applied are quite different. Recommendations on policies, laws, and institutional regulations institution are proposed to better utilise environmental impact assessment to integrate climate change considerations into economic, social, and environmental decisions and actions.

Keywords climate change considerations      environmental impact assessment      energy consumption      greenhouse gases      low carbon     
Corresponding Author(s): WU Jing,Email:wujing@nankai.edu.cn   
Issue Date: 01 August 2013
 Cite this article:   
I-Shin CHANG,Jing WU. Integration of climate change considerations into environmental impact assessment — implementation, problems and recommendations for China[J]. Front Envir Sci Eng, 0, (): 598-607.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-013-0496-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y0/V/I/598
casetime of assessmentregion of assessmentadministration levelindustry category
1June 2008 – May 2010Bohai Sea Rim Area:terrestrial area- 12.9 × 104 km2maritime area- 7.2 × 104 km2trans-provincialindustry development
2May 2007 – May 2008Hubei Province: 18.59 × 104 km2provincialtransportation business
3March 2008 – May 2008Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City: 34.2 km2a functional area in Tianjincity master plan
4Nov. 2007 – Nov. 2009Tianjin Binhai New Area: 2270 km2a district of Tianjinregional development strategy
Tab.1  Basic information of four cases studied
Fig.1  Note: a) China’s National Assessment Report on Climate Change 2007[]
Interactions between climate change and PPPs
caseCCCsassessment indicesassessment methodsmitigation measures
1energy consumptionenergy consumption·(104 GDP)-1based on scenario mathematic modelclean energy and energy conservation measurescountermeasures for low carbon developmentadaptation to climate change (including infrastructure and capability building)
carbon emissioncarbon emission·(104 GDP)-1based on simplified IPCC model
water resources under extreme climate conditionsavailable water resources under extreme climate conditionsqualitative analysis
environmental risks under extreme weather conditionswater quality deterioration of rivers under extreme hydrologic conditions; and risks of severe regional ambient air pollution under extreme weather conditionsnumerical simulation
2GHG emissionsemissions of CO2, CH4, N2Osimple computation model developed by assessment practitioner (emission factors are adopted from IPCC)measures to reduce GHG emissions
3energy consumptionpercentage of renewable energy in total energy consumptionenergy budget analysis; energy structure analysisclean energy and energy conservation measurescountermeasures for low carbon developmentadaptation to climate change (including infrastructure and capability building)
carbon emissioncarbon emission intensity per GDPqualitative analysis
low carbon developmentpercentage of green building; percentage of green transportationqualitative analysis
4energy consumptionenergy consumption per GDP; percentage of renewable energy in total energy consumptionbased on scenario mathematic modelenergy budget analysisclean energy and energy conservation measurescountermeasures for low carbon developmentrisk management measures
carbon emissioncarbon emission·(104 GDP)-1based on simplified IPCC model
Tab.2  Summary of case analysis
groupname of the lawfirst promulgationlatest amendment
Mthe Forest Law of the People’s Republic of China19841998
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Energy Conservation19972007
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Environmental Impact Assessment2002-
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Promoting Cleaner Production2002-
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Renewable Energy20052009
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Promotion of Circular Economy2008-
Athe Marine Environment Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China19821999
the Forest Law of the People’s Republic of China19841998
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution19842008
the Grassland Law of the People’s Republic of China19852002
the Fisheries Law of the People’s Republic of China19862004
the Land Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China19862004
the Water Law of the People’s Republic of China19882002
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Water and Soil Conservation19912010
the Agriculture Law of the People’s Republic of China19932002
the Flood Control Law of the People’s Republic of China1997-
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Administration of Sea Areas2001-
the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Desertification2001-
Tab.3  Laws related to climate change in China
assessing processGHGs emission analysisimpacts on PPPs from climate change
identify environmental impactsincrease or reduce GHG emissionsincrease or reduce carbon sinkdamage to important infrastructure and propertyimpacts on production and livelihoodimpacts on water resources demands and water qualityimpacts on biodiversityimpacts on human health
survey and analyse current statusanalyse carbon source and carbon sink, according to industrial sector, administrative district, and decision levels of PPPs involvedanalyse embodiment of the effects described above, according to industrial sector, administrative district, and decision levels of PPPs involvedanalyse the sensitivity of PPPs to the effects described above
predict and assess impactsquantitative calculation or qualitative analysis of total emission and emission intensity of GHGsquantitative calculation or qualitative analysis of total amount and intensity of carbon sinkquantitative calculation or qualitative analysis or evaluation of the impacts on PPPs from the effects described above
identify mitigation measuresidentify measures to reduce GHG emissionsidentify measures to increase carbon sinkintegrate adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change into PPPs
monitoring and follow-up assessmentmonitor the effectiveness of measures to reduce GHG emissionsmonitor the implementation of adaptation and mitigation measures to climate change
Tab.4  Integration procedures
types of impactsindex
GHG emissionseffects on GHG emissions from energy, transportation, business, agriculture, habitant, and waste managementeffects on the pattern of transportation and traveleffects on the production of renewable energyeffects on energy efficiencyeffects on promotion of low carbon economy and technologieseffects on the quantity of solid wasteCO2 emission intensity per GDP, GHG emissions per capitaannual vehicle mileage per capitaratio of renewable energyenergy consumption per GDP//quantity of solid waste
influences of climate changeeffects on the site selection and design of developing activities, significant infrastructure, and public services (in order to prevent impacts of floods)effects on site selection and design of developing activities located at eroded areaeffects on water resources utilisationeffects on water supply and drainage managementeffects on site selection and design of developing activities (in order to withstand storms)effects on the service functions of ecosystemquantity and percentage of property threatened by floodsquantity and percentage of property located at eroded areaquantity of water resourcespercentage of water supply and drainage for developing activitiesquantity and percentage of property threatened by stormspromote the construction of ecological network
Tab.5  Impacts identification and index system
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