This sounds similar to a\u00a0Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 which is defined as:<\/p>\n A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an analysis of the impact one object has on the world around it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So what exactly<\/em> is an Environmental Impact Assessment? And how does it differentiate from an LCA?<\/p>\n Environmental Impact assessments are commonly used in political decision making. They are embedded in national legislation in many countries.<\/p>\n The goal of an Environmental Impact Assessment is to assess the potential impact of policies, programs and projects, usually of public nature. This could be the construction of a new airport or highway, as well as other, more de-centralized projects.<\/p>\n In fact, the Environmental Impact Assessment is supposed to be conducted before a political decision is even made \u2013 it\u2019s supposed to inform the legislators if the project is indeed worth executing, given the environmental impact it creates and\/or costs.<\/p>\n Naturally, this makes an EIA subject to many rules and regulations. And compromises, as we will investigate later.<\/p>\n The Environmental Impact Assessment was first introduced through EU Directive (85\/337\/EEC) and amended in 1997. There have been several other amendments and extensions, for example with the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEA) Directive (2001\/42\/EC).<\/p>\n In the Netherlands, Environmental Impact Assessments are required for many environmental permits. The Dutch government offers many tools and guidelines for this, for example the\u00a0MER Scan<\/a>.<\/p>\nEnvironmental Impact Assessment: Political Instrument<\/h2>\n
Environmental Impact Assessment in the EU<\/h2>\n
![\"Environmental](\"https:\/\/ecochain.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/environment_2-1024x731-1.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n