Development of guidance to the assessment of environmental impacts and climate change from plans and programmes in São Paulo State

Abstract

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is an instrument to support the development of strategic actions and contributes to the promotion of sustainability principles, values and objectives in the process of formulation of policies, plans and programmes (PPPs). SEA is recognised as an important instrument to address climate change issues in developing processes, although the definition of procedures and approaches adapted to the context of operation is still demanding scientific efforts. In the state of São Paulo the State Law 13.798/2009 (State Policy on Climate Change - SPCC) establishes the use of SEA to analyse the environmental effects of public/private policies, plans and programmes considering the challenges of climate changes to the state. However, the lack of a clear definition of procedures to be adopted in SEA preparation and, moreover, during the integration of SEA outcomes in decision-making and in PPP formulation constitute a challenging gap to its implementation that needs a robust scientific framework and the support of best practices. In this project a conceptual model to SEA and climate change will be developed and tested, considering its integration in decision-making and PPP formulation as required by the SPCC. Based on the state of the practice of SEA and climate change the aim is to develop a conceptual-procedures framework to the identification and assessment of environmental and social impacts that are likely to be caused by strategic actions, including the analysis of compatibility between targets and objectives stablished by state policies on climate change, thus contributing to consolidate the SPCC amongst the environmental policies in the state. (AU)