Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management

North-West Europe has a rich cultural heritage which is increasingly prone to impacts from development activities. This paper reports the findings of the "Planarch" study funded by the European Regional Development Fund Interreg IIIB programme. Overall, whilst there are examples of good practice, cultural heritage has a relatively low profile in EIA in the countries studied. Nevertheless, cultural heritage is important and makes wider contributions to society beyond its intrinsic value. Therefore, the profile of cultural heritage needs to be raised both within the planning process and EIA, and also in the minds of decision-makers, other specialists and the wider public. Ten guiding principles provide a first step in promoting the assessment of cultural heritage in EIA, and also to build the consideration of cultural heritage into more strategic planning decisions through SEA.

This study uses primary research methods to determine whether a corporate social performance (CSP)–corporate financial performance (CFP) relationship exists within the Canadian context through examination of publicly-traded Canadian-based companies.

The empirical findings demonstrate a positive CSR–CFP relationship, typically with CFP preceding CSP (although this does not preclude a relationship in the other direction) when using accounting-based measures of financial performance and as applied to the Top 1000 firms in Canada as ranked by profitability. This positive relationship was not confirmed when compared to the Top 500 companies ranked by profitability (i.e., with the "bottom 500" removed). In addition, the positive relationship did not occur with respect to market-based measures of financial performance (i.e., share performance).

In addition, the study noted two possible issues that may have influenced the findings although the extent of such influences (if they exist) is not known. The first of these relates to a predilection amongst the CSR-rankings towards firms with high profitability. Almost all of the top-ranked CSR leaders are from the Top 500 firms in Canada as ranked by profitability and nearly three-quarters are from the Top 100. The second issue is the potential bias of the CSR-ranking methods themselves. This may have resulted in the inclusion of some firms with more questionable reputations in the rankings as well as the lack of continuity from year to year of CSR-leaders amongst the three rankings examined.

This exploratory study sets the stage for more detailed analyses within a Canadian context in the future.

The objectives of this study were to assess potential health and productivity benefits for the year 2010 with five scenarios for reducing particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) air pollution in the cities of Osaka, Houston, Bangkok and Seoul. Assuming a uniform 10% decline in ambient PM levels, the preventible cases of: (1) premature mortality ranged from 35 in Houston to 379 in Seoul, (2) chronic bronchitis ranged from 95 in Houston to 1,631 in Seoul, (3) cardiovascular disease ranged from 68 in Houston to 818 in Seoul, (4) pneumonia ranged from 28 in Houston to 336 in Seoul, (5) asthma attacks ranged from 388 in Osaka to 96,876 in Seoul, and (6) acute bronchitis ranged from 186 in Houston to 2,973 in Seoul. The per million population central estimate of the purchasing power parity adjusted value of health and productivity benefits ranged from $25 million in Bangkok to $160 million in Osaka. There was a wide variability in measured PM₁₀ levels across cities. Percentages of active monitors reporting concentrations above 50 μg/m³ (annual average) or 150 μg/m³ (24-hour average) in 2001–2002 were 0% in Houston, 5% in Osaka, 33% in Bangkok and 92% in Seoul. Assuming a non-uniform reduction in PM only at concentration hotspots with levels above air quality standards, the number of preventible cases of mortality ranged from 0 in Houston to 1,104 in Seoul. The central estimate of total benefits ranged from $0 in Houston to $240 million in Seoul.

Environmental management is most successful when it is integral to the overall management of an institution. A technical and management team conducting community water resources development projects in which environmental management is based on institutional policy and environmental assessments is likely to effectively protect the environment, complete construction, and initiate operation of the new systems. Water resource development is inherently multidisciplinary but interdisciplinary sharing of information may not occur unless management establishes policies and procedures to facilitate it. Organisational learning should be facilitated to clarify the objectives of the project, including environmental protection, and to describe the informational needs of team members and resources available across the team disciplines. A village water supply program in Armenia demonstrated these principles. Environmental assessments conducted in collaboration with an effort to enhance the longevity of water supply wells led to interdisciplinary team-building and training for project managers and contractors. Improved cost-effectiveness and less environmental damage are anticipated.

In 2004, the Ecological Engineering Group at the University of Arkansas received a grant to update Arkansas' nonpoint source pollution (NPS) management program. A stakeholder involvement process was developed that used collaborative learning (CL) and comparative risk assessment (CRA) to prioritise watersheds for NPS implementation. The relative ecological risk posed by nonpoint pollution to each watershed was assessed and values assigned using available water quality, GIS, and demographic data. This risk assessment was the foundation to a CL exercise. Through the CL process, the knowledge and experience of scientists, administrators and laypersons were used. Watersheds prioritised through the CRA became eligible for section 319(h) funding from EPA. This study evaluated the substantive legitimacy of the stakeholder process. Overall, stakeholders were found to be satisfied. The repeatability of the process made it a valuable improvement to Arkansas' NPS program.