Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management

The 1992 Climate Change Convention aims to stabilise greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) are instruments which allow countries with high marginal costs of abatement to participate in emission reduction projects in countries with lower marginal abatement costs with the incentive of gaining carbon credits for the reduction of GHGs. The environmental benefits sought by the Convention relate mainly to he mitigation of climate change. However, consideration should also be given to other potential environmental, economic and social effects of JI/CDM projects on the local population and host country. This paper discusses the need for integrating environmental and social considerations into the JI/CDM process. It undertakes a preliminary retrospective environmental assessment of AIJ energy projects in the Czech Republic and Estonia. It also proposes support for capacity building and data collection systems in host countries, application of a simple participative scoping exercise for all projects followed by further work as necessary, upgrading of the Uniform Reporting Format for projects, and incorporation into project approval criteria.

Air pollution from urban traffic is a growing environmental problem worldwide. Emissions of lead resulting from the usage of leaded fuel are of particular concern due to associated health hazards. While many countries have accomplished or are in the process of phasing-out leaded gasoline, others continue to rely to a large extent on the use of high lead-content gasoline. Such is the case of Lebanon where the use of unleaded gasoline is hindered not only by the lack of direct governmental endorsement but also by the price difference in favour of leaded gasoline. While the phase-out of leaded gasoline is economically feasible, several measures should be undertaken for a successful transition to unleaded gasoline. This paper reviews the problem of lead addition into gasoline and the international experience in its phase-out. Policy measures and technical considerations for a successful transition to unleaded gasoline are described. Available data for Lebanon about the vehicle fleet characteristics, gasoline consumption and quality as well as lead emissions and concentrations in various environments are presented. This information forms the basis for developing a phase-out action plan outlining the interrelation and responsibilities of various agencies as well as measures to be adopted for a successful phase-out process.

It is now generally accepted that the national accounts which give a comprehensive overview of national economic activity should also account for the way the economy uses, and often has a negative impact on, the environment. However, a number of areas of uncertainty and disagreement remain as to how this should be carried out, involving such issues as whether Net National Product (NNP) is a measure of production or of economic welfare, whether environmental damage can be adequately valued for the purpose of the national accounts, how the macroeconomic aggregates can be adjusted for environmental impacts, and the correct treatment of defensive expenditures. On the basis of a review of these and other issues, the paper's principal conclusion is that there is no methodologically sound and operationally feasible way of deriving a figure for Green GNP by subtracting figures pertaining to environmental degradation or depletion from GNP, but that it is possible to calculate a "sustainability gap" for the economy, in either physical or monetary terms. When expressed as a ratio of GDP, this gives an indicator of the "unsustainability intensity" of economic activity, comparable to the energy intensity indicator that is already in wide use.

As part of its principal aim of contributing towards achieving the objective of sustainable development the Environment Agency in England and Wales established a National Centre for Risk Analysis and Options Appraisal in 1997. This paper describes a key area of the Centre's work over the past four years, namely the development of an approach for integrated appraisal. This approach has been developed jointly by EIA specialists, economists, a social psychologist and an expert in technology assessment. There have been several opportunities for developing tools and techniques for internal use and the Agency has also been able to advise and inform others, particularly the Central and regional governments. This paper aims to summarise some of these case studies for the benefit of a wider audience. Significant challenges remain, not least because there are few role models to follow and relatively little published literature on the subject of integrated appraisal. Challenges are methodological, procedural and institutional. The paper recommends the term "integrated appraisal" as the umbrella term under which many other approaches (variously termed) fit and develops a checklist of questions to be asked.