SEA GUIDANCE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

IAIA INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP AND PROMOTE SEA GUIDANCE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

Request for Round 2 Reviewers

IAIA is pleased to announce the availability of the Full Draft of the "Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Guidance for Improving Decision-making in the Energy Transition." Links to the latest versions of the chapters are below, and we are seeking another round of reviews. You can review a single chapter or multiple, but we ask you to provide your reviews by 31 October 2023.

Access to Materials

Preliminary draft chapters were posted on the IAIA website in May 2023, and we sincerely appreciate the feedback and suggestions received from our members and partners. In response, we have refined the content and incorporated new material to produce the Full Draft. This Full Draft is now accessible for your review and comment. The individual chapters can be downloaded below as separate PDF files. Comments and suggestions should be emailed to SEA4renewables@gmail.com by 31 October.

If you would like to make specific edits, corrections, or additions of images, tables, or boxes, please request a Word version of those specific chapter(s) by emailing SEA4renewables@gmail.com. You can edit using track changes for clarity and send the edited files back to the same email address.

Looking Ahead

After this second consultation window ends 31 October 2023, the lead authors will use the input received to revise the chapters and produce a final working draft by the end of December 2023. This version will be reviewed by IAIA internally for approval and then ultimately available for public use and distribution.

Project Background

Climate change underscores the urgency of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Recognizing the pivotal role SEA can play in facilitating this transition, the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) initiated a comprehensive project in 2022 which aims to

Develop comprehensive guidance for conducting SEAs specifically tailored to renewable energy projects.
Promote use of this guidance in SEAs conducted for policies, plans, and programs supporting the transition to a low-carbon future powered by renewable energy.

IAIA members Barry Dalal-Clayton and Miles Scott-Brown were engaged by IAIA to lead this important initiative.

Three Phases of the Initiative:

A. Launch Phase (January - June 2022):

Inventory existing SEA guidelines
Outline the scope and contents of the guidance
Create oversight through a 'Partners Council' and 'Technical Advisory Committee'
Establish a Reference Group
Produce an inception report outlining the course of action for Phase B and C

B. Development Phase (January – December 2023):

Draft the comprehensive guidance
Solicit input from reviewers and technical experts
Engage with partners for the transition to Phase C implementation
Conduct an open review and present progress at IAIA'23 in Kuching

C. Implementation/Roll-out (2024 – 2027 onwards):

Disseminate the guidance
Convert the guidance into an online, searchable resource
Organize regional workshops and other capacity-building events
Encourage voluntary adoption of the guidance worldwide and develop case studies

The guidance covers the basics of SEA, including origins, theory, key steps, methods, and tools. Moreover, it will feature dedicated chapters on key issues for different types of renewable energy, as well as the retirement of coal-fired power plants and the closure of associated coal mines.

Further information and reports are available on the "HotTopics" section of IAIA's website.

Thank You

Your contributions play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality and value of this document for all readers. We eagerly look forward to receiving your comments.

Download the Chapters