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Environmental and Social Impact

Assessment (ESIA) Guidelines

Information webinar

Tuesday, 5th July 2016

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Today’s webinar content1. Context & consultation process

2. Overview of the document

3. Key messages

4. Guidelines at a glance

5. Introducing the Guidelines

a) ESIA process

b) Project description

c) Screening phase & scoping phase

d) Baseline study

e) Impact assessment

f) Stakeholder engagement

g) Environmental & social management and monitoring

6. Q&A

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Presenters

Alexandra Silva, Secil

Ana G Aledo, Votorantim Cimentos

Kostis Dragasakis, Titan

Tanya Strevens, WBCSD-CSI

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Context

• CSI ESIA Guidelines published in 2005 needed updating

• Advances in ESIA understanding:

→ Baseline assessment

→ Mitigation hierarchy

→ Stakeholder engagement

→ Material sustainability issues for the

cement industry

• More accountability, transparency &

other requirements

• Increased social emphasis

• More user-friendly guidelines needed

• Clearer document structure

1. Context

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Consultation process• Survey to gauge depth of review required

Responses indicated re-write required

• Tenders invited to identify consultant

• Round-table meeting in Geneva, April 2014

• Feedback (verbal & written) captured & shared

• Drafts reviewed and commented on by TF5

• Final draft reviewed & approved by LDs

1. Context

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Experts & stakeholders consulted

1. Context

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Key messages from stakeholders

• Cement sector specific

• NB Baseline biodiversity assessment

• Beyond national standards & minimum regulatory

requirements

• Address major current issues

• Applicable to different project sizes

• Mitigation hierarchy

• Support for decision-making

• Strengthen screening & scoping

• More on social

• More user-friendly

• Enhance with case-studies

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Overview

WHEN?

WHAT?

WHY?: If the ESIA is not accepted by the local planning authorities and other

stakeholders, then permission for the project will not be granted

Design Construction OperationDecommiss-

ioning

2. Overview

Environmental

Social

Positive & Negative Impacts

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Overview (ctd.)

Small to large in both scale and scope;

New investments and/or operational

expansions

WHICH PROJECTS?

Engagement and agreement

of all stakeholders

HOW?

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Key messages

3. Key messages

• Experience from a variety of projects in different countries around the

world

• Meeting international standards and referencing good practices, aiming

beyond regulatory compliance

Accumulate the CSI member’s expertise in ESIA process

• Core principles

• Step-wise approach in setting out key decision points

• Principles and objectives of stakeholders engagement

Demonstrate the approach for a successful ESIA

• Both environmental and social issues are equally addressed

• All material sustainability issues for the cement industry are linked with

respective CSI documents

Reflect the developments in cement industry and changes in

stakeholder expectations

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Guidelines at a glance

Context

International Standards

The ESIA ProcessOverview

Project description

The screening phase

The scoping phase

Baseline

The baseline report

Impact assessment

Stakeholder EngagementWhy engage with stakeholders?

Who are the stakeholders in an ESIA process?

The principles and objectives of stakeholder engagement

Techniques for stakeholder engagement

Environmental and Social Management and MonitoringThe purpose of an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP)

What should be included in an ESMP?

Verification and reporting

Environmental and social monitoring

Practical Considerations

4. Guidelines at a glance

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The ESIA process

5a. Introducing the Guidelines – The ESIA process

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The ESIA process (ctd.)

5a. Introducing the Guidelines – The ESIA process

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Project description

A detailed and quantitative project description is required

at an early stage, including:

5b. Introducing the Guidelines – Project description

Objectives

and scope of

the project

Project

location

Site

preparation

and

construction

Project

designEmployment

Overview of

proposed

project

closure plan

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Step 1

Project Definition

Step 2

Mandatory List

Step 3

Exclusion List

Step 4

Sensitive Environment

Step 5

Case-By-Case

ESIA Required

NO

NO

YES

YES

NO ESIA Not RequiredYES

YES

NO

ESIA Required

ESIA Not Required

Screening phase

5c. Introducing the Guidelines – Screening phase

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• Pre-screening contact with regulatory authorities can

save time for all parties

• Promote co-operative governance by involving

relevant stakeholders early in the planning process

• In case of international funding for a project,

screening phase is used for project categorization

according to international standards (IFC, OECD etc.)

Screening phase tips

5c. Introducing the Guidelines – Screening phase

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Incre

asin

gscale

of

pro

ject

imp

act

Increasing environmental and social sensitivity

5c. Introducing the Guidelines – Scoping phase

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• Consider reasonable and practical alternatives for the project

• Inform stakeholders of the development

• Identify potential impacts

• Evaluate concerns expressed from stakeholders

• Define the boundaries of an ESIA study

• Determine the analytical methods to establish the significance

of impacts

• Establish ongoing mechanisms for consultation

• Establish the terms of reference for specialist studies in the

impact assessment phase of the ESIA

Purpose of scoping

5c. Introducing the Guidelines – Scoping phase

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• Establish the state of the existing environment before the

implementation of the project

• Should be proportional with the size and scale of the project

What is the purpose of the baseline study?

5d. Introducing the Guidelines – Baseline study

What are the stages of the baseline study?

Reporting

stage

Field

study

Desktop

study

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1) Physical studies: surface water and sediments,

groundwater, air quality, noise, soils and land use

• Identify the nature of the potential impacts

• Establishing a baseline for each aspect

Note: Several examples of the potential impacts and baseline data are

provided in the ESIA Guidelines for each physical aspect

What should be considered in the

baseline study?

5d. Introducing the Guidelines – Baseline study

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2) Biodiversity

• Identification and contextualization of the site’s biodiversity value

• Field surveys to confirm the biodiversity value

• Opportunities for biodiversity (positive impacts)

What should be considered in the

baseline study?

5d. Introducing the Guidelines – Baseline study

Biodiversity value: Three levels of

biological organization

• Habitats & ecosystems

• Species

• Ecosystem services

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3) Socio-economic studies

• A socio-economic description of the affected area

• Involuntary resettlement and land acquisition

• Cultural heritage

• Traffic and transport

• Karst environments

• Positive benefits for local communities

What should be considered in the

baseline study?

5d. Introducing the Guidelines – Baseline study

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Baseline study report

• Summary of the findings of the baseline studies

• Technical studies

• Summary of field investigations

• Mapping

• Integral step in the ESIA process

• Involve stakeholders

5d. Introducing the Guidelines – Baseline study

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Impact assessment

Environmental and

Social baseline

Identify the potential

impacts

Measuring potential

change

Significance of change

Residual impacts

Mitigating adverse change

Development stages

• Construction

• Operation

• Decommissioning

Cumulative impacts

ESIA REPORT

5e. Introducing the Guidelines – Impact assessment

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Measuring potential change (or impact)• Assess the attributes of change

• There is no prescriptive approach set out in existing legislation

• Methodology should be transparent and consistent

• Illustration of a methodology (example of a method is in the ESIA)

5e. Introducing the Guidelines – Impact assessment

• Assess the significance of the change (or impact) (example of a

scoring system provided in the ESIA)

Magnitude

Duration

Scale

....

Significance of change

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Mitigating adverse change• Define mitigation measures to reduce, neutralize and repair

• Hierarchical approach should be taken into account

See: CSI Quarry Rehabilitation Guidelines (2011)

and the CSI Biodiversity Management Plan (2014)

5e. Introducing the Guidelines – Impact assessment

Mitigation hierarchy

Avoid

Minimize or reduce

Repair & restore or rehabilitate

Offset or compensate

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5e. Introducing the Guidelines – Impact assessment

• Summary of the findings and recommendations of the

technical studies

• Minimum criteria of an ESIA report are described in the

Guidelines

ESIA report

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Stakeholder engagementNew project: Necessary to obtain the social license to operate

ForumOpen and frank dialogue with involved parties

+ cement company

5f. Introducing the Guidelines – Stakeholder engagement

Local communities

Media

Commercial organizations

& business associationsEmployees

Government authorities

(national, regional, locals)

NGOs

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Why to engage?• To consider concerns of the local community

• To see issues from others’ perspectives

• To present synergies (with other projects), cumulative impacts to be

addressed and the opportunities that may be realised

• To avoid loss of time and resources

• To avoid long court battles, demonstrations, boycotts, environmental

damage, facility closures due to non-existent or reactive

communication with stakeholders

Social license to operate: A local community’s acceptance

or approval of a company’s project or ongoing presence

5f. Introducing the Guidelines – Stakeholder engagement

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• Building trust, credibility and stakeholder capacity

• Involve stakeholders early on

• Comprehensive, clear and transparent

• Inclusive and exhaustive

• Being active to proceed with greater benefit for everyone

involved

Engagement during ESIA must be effective:

Main objective: to ensure the

process is “free, prior and

informed” and that consultation

provides involved groups

opportunities to participate and

offer consent Community liaison committees

5f. Introducing the Guidelines – Stakeholder engagement

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Principles of stakeholder

participation

Inclusive engagement

Sufficient and consistent information

Offer assistance to understand the concepts involved

Stakeholders must have time

and many opportunities to

exchange information and

viewpoints

Techniques to employ in

stakeholder engagement

Public meetings and open houses

Workshops and seminars in focus group discussions

Newspaper articles and publications in popular media

Internet

Brochures and information sheets

5f. Introducing the Guidelines – Stakeholder engagement

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License / permit

• Conditions of

approval:

Legal requirements

Impact assessment

requirements

• Guidelines &

standards

Planning &

implementation

• Objectives and

targets

• Environmental &

social impacts and

mitigation measures

• Structure and

responsibilities

• Training requirements

Monitoring and

verification

• Monitoring and

measurement

• Compliance

monitoring

• Impact monitoring

• Internal audit &

verification report

Reporting

• Performance report

Auditing results

Monitoring results

Definition: The mechanism through which the findings of the ESIA and

the associated mitigation measures are implemented

Environmental & social management &

monitoring (ESMM)

5g. Introducing the Guidelines – Environmental & social management and monitoring

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• To ensure that conditions of approval are met

• To ensure that resources allocated are

sufficient and consistent

• To verify environmental performance and

ensure that impacts on communities are

understood and managed

• To respond to changes in project

implementation

• To respond to unforeseen events

* The typical plans required for a cement plant and associated quarry, along with the key

objectives of each plan, and parameters for monitoring the environmental and social

performance, are described in the Guidelines

Purpose of an ESMM plan

5g. Introducing the Guidelines – Environmental & social management and monitoring

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Recap• ESIA a crucial topic for the sector – directly linked

to license to operate

• A more user-friendly, up-to-date guideline

• Cover the ESIA process, with particular detail on:

• Screening & scoping phases

• Baseline assessment

• Impact assessment

• Stakeholder engagement

• Links to existing CSI information resources – and

the ESIA Implementation Checklist

5. Introducing the Guidelines

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Questions?Please use GoTo meeting chat function!

6. Q&A

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Thank you

www.wbcsdcement.org

www.wbcsdcement.org/ESIA

contact: Tanya Strevens strevens@wbcsd.org

CSI is a member-led program of the

World Business Council for Sustainable Development