Our Services
This is an outline of our services. Please feel welcome to contact us using the link below for more information and all enquiries.
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) & Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
The objective of EIA and ESIA is to manage and minimize the impact of a project or an organisation’s activities on the environment or the community in order to:
· ensure compliance with laws and regulations
· mitigate risks of harmful environmental effects on the natural environment or the community, and
· protect the health of human beings.
Our team has collectively commissioned, managed, supervised and conducted hundreds of EIAs and ESIAs in the UK, the EU, Canada, Africa and Saudi Arabia. We are specialists in impact assessment and excel in managing multi-disciplinary teams to produce compliant EIA/ESIA reports within budget and to schedule.
Strategic Impact Assessment (SEA)
SEAs are carried outlook at the bigger picture when making policies, plans, or programs (PPP) that could affect the environment and people.
Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a process used to incorporate environmental considerations into policy, planning or program developments affecting whole sectors such as transportation, or energy development. As can be seen in the following the following figure, EIAs are used as a project-specific process to determine potential environmental & social impacts. Whereas SEA is a systematic process for incorporating environmental and social considerations across different levels of strategic decision making.
When used early in the development of a proposal, SEA contributes to informed decision-making.
Our team has collectively commissioned, managed, and supervised dozens of SEAs.
Cumulative Impact Assessment
Cumulative impact assessment (CIA) examines all the potential effects of a project on environmental and/or social valued components (VCs). As part of the impact assessment process, a cumulative effects assessment allows for the consideration of additional mitigation measures to address effects of a designated project in combination with other physical activities that have been, or will be, implemented.
Assessing cumulative effects provides information to the impact assessment process, which supports a fuller understanding of a project’s likely residual effects to inform the public interest decision and the implementation of follow-up programs.
Our team has developed CIA reports as part of the ESIA process or as a standalone reports.
Construction Environmental (and Social) Management Plan (CEMP-CESMP)
The objective of such plans is to ensure that all potential adverse environmental impacts caused during construction are avoided, and that contractors have put in place mitigation measures to minimise impacts when avoidance is not possible.
Our team has extensive experience in writing, reviewing, supervising and implementing CEMPs and CESMPs across many projects, countries and regions.
Natural Capital Accounting
Natural capital accounting has been developed as a systematic way to measure changes in ‘natural capital’. This is based on the ecosystem approach, in which benefits or ‘value’ provided by nature – ecosystems, recreation, water, minerals, air, animal and plant populations, etc. – are ‘measured’; i.e. counted. In theory, this would provide decision planners and regulators with a tool to integrate the value of these ‘services’ to the rest of information (evidence-based) when making project development decisions.
While it is possible to give numerical or monetary value to many of these natural capital ‘services’ others cannot be measured directly. Natural capital accounting aims to provide a standard structure to fill in the gaps of the not-directly measurable variables or ‘services’.
Extensive guidance on natural capital accounting has been published by UK government, the EU, and internationally (World Bank Group). However, this is not always clear and consistent. As a developing area, it is open to misinterpretation, potentially leading to onerous consultations and delays. Our team of specialists will ensure compliance with all legal requirements associated with natural capital.
We are experienced in the identification and analyses of ecosystem services, numerical analyses and the weight of evidence in regulatory and legal processes, and integrating ecosystem values in a proportionate way in project developments.
Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Biodiversity can be defined in a simplified way as the number of biological species present in an area. Biodiversity net gain (BNG) implies that Biodiversity found in the footprint of a project must increase after a development has been completed. It is based in the assumption that an increase in biodiversity is an ecological improvement.
BNG is mandatory in England under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021). According to the British Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), “Developers must deliver a BNG of 10%. This means a development will result in more, or better quality, natural habitat than there was before development by 10%.”
A similar approach is being taken by other countries and environmentally responsible developers. Obviously, the biodiversity metric(s) must first be identified.
At EnvCR, we possess the knowledge and experience to advise and deliver on a case-by-case basis on matters regarding Biodiversity Management.
Climate Change
Design of ecological baseline and monitoring surveys
Decision makers, regulators and the legal system require evidence to support decisions, permit applications or legal challenges related to developments. In order to be acceptable, evidence (samples, data, information) must meet a series of stringent requirements. A poorly designed data acquisition programme may not provide data sufficiently robust to draw firm conclusions, and be extremely expensive on the other hand.
The Environmental Impact Assessment report will often require developers to implement monitoring programs in order to ascertain if the predicted environmental impacts identified in the ESIA report are occurring. Additionally, government regulators will often link permit requirements to environmental and social monitoring.
Our team has first-hand knowledge and expertise in developing, implementing and managing air/water/waste/energy monitoring programs for multiple projects in many countries. This includes expertise in the spatial and temporal scales necessary to establish valid baselines to detect ecological changes, in order to meet regulatory requirements. Thus, we ensure that our clients’ monitoring efforts will meet scientific and technical requirements using our expertise in planning, supervising and conducting ecological/social surveys in multiple terrestrial/aquatic projects across different regions and habitats.
Report writing
Our team excels in writing clear, concise reports at the highest scientific standards; furthermore, we develop reports and report summaries for all levels of audience or stakeholder’s scientific literacy. Our experience is based on writing and publishing numerous peer-reviewed articles, and hundreds of scientific and technical reports, legal documents, survey reports, etc.
Our team members have received scientific writing training and legal expert witness training, and have extensive experience in writing government and guidance documents, policy documents and technical guidelines. We are fully familiar with the standards and style in writing required by large public and private corporations, regulators and scientific publishers.
We offer report writing services based on our own data, client’s data and third parties’ data and information. Our expertise will avoid costly delays due to poorly written reports, which can take several weeks to be reviewed and re-edited, thus impacting on scheduled delivery of projects.
Marine Licensing
Some activities in UK inshore and offshore waters require a permitting for legal operations. These activities include construction, alterations or improvement of structures, dredging, infilling, sediment disposal, removal of any materials, incineration of materials or scuttling of vessels or floating containers. The government organisation responsible for marine licensing in English inshore and offshore areas and Welsh and Northern Ireland offshore areas is the Marine Management Organisation (MMO). An application for a marine license will be the first step to ensure that any works are undertaken legally. The MMO, their scientific advisors and consultees will decide based on the assessment of the potential environmental impacts of those works.
For the licensing of projects such as capital dredging, construction of large structures or any works that may alter the existing coastal profile, a comprehensive environmental impact assessment may be required. This is likely to require the acquisition of new data on the status and distribution of local biological populations, habitats and coastal processes. This will also require consideration of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and natural capital assets.
Marine licensing in England and Wales is regulated by the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/23/contents).
The MMO is part of the process regulating nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) in English inshore and offshore waters and Welsh offshore areas under the Planning Act 2008. NSIPs applications are examined by The Planning Inspectorate (PINS), which will provide recommendations to the Secretary of State. The Team at EnvCR has extensive experience of marine licensing. This includes working with the regulator, their scientific advisors and consultees, engineering and construction firms and applying for marine licenses on their behalf.
For more information please see:
https://www.gov.uk/topic/planning-development/marine-licences
https://www.gov.uk/topic/planning-development/marine-planning
Water Framework Directive (WFD) Assessments
The objective of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) is for all water bodies in the UK and the EU to be at good ecological status (or ‘good ecological status’ as defined by the EU). This includes inland waters (rivers, lakes), estuaries and the marine environment up to 1 nautical mile out to sea.
Most activities in marine, estuarine and inland waters need approval before they can go ahead. A WFD Assessment must be undertaken and provided as part of the licensing or authorisation process. This should allow the regulator to understand the impact that any specific activity may have in the water body and connected water bodies, and to determine compliance with their management plans. The WFD Assessment must ensure that any project or activity will not cause or contribute to deterioration of status or jeopardise the water body achieving good status.
The environmental scientists in EnvCR have extensive experience in successfully undertaking WFD assessments and the development of guidance for the implementation of the WFD in the UK.
More information:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-framework/facts_figures/guidance_docs_en.htm
Habitats Regulations Assessments (HRA)
The Habitats Regulations require that all English competent authorities, including Natural England, must undertake a formal assessment of the implications and potential impacts of new projects or developments which are capable of affecting the designated features of European Sites before or authorising such a project or development.
The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 (as amended) (‘the Habitats Regulations’), which transpose the European Habitats Directive 1992 and Wild Birds Directive 2009 into English law to determine Natural England’s statutory duties on securing compliance with the EU Directives.
Natural England becomes a ‘competent authority’ under the Regulations when the exercise of its functions will or may affect European Sites such as classified Special Protected Areas - SPAs- and designated Special Areas of Conservation - SACs. This will include, for example, the discharge of its role to give consents and permissions on those Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and to determine wildlife licence applications under a range of domestic and European legislation. It will also include plans and projects which Natural England carries out or commissions itself, for example, when managing its National Nature Reserves, carrying out evidence-gathering and taking forward initiatives to increase or improve public access.
HRA has two stages. The first stage is to ascertain whether a project could significantly affect European protected species. If affirmative, the second stage will propose design and construction alternatives to avoid adverse impacts on designated features of a European Site.
The team at EnvCR can advise on the HRA process and conduct HRA from early planning stages of a project.
Underwater sound and vibration - monitoring, modelling and impact avoidance
Many works, developments and projects have the potential to produce sound and vibration, both in the terrestrial and marine environment. At certain levels, sound and vibration can be harmful or lethal for animals and also harmful for humans.
Our Team has extensive experience in researching the propagation of sound and vibration and their biological effects. We have specialist knowledge and expertise in measuring and modelling the reach and effects of noise and vibration to avoid adverse impacts, or to minimise these impacts when avoidance is not possible.
Water quality
Our team has specialist knowledge of water quality and experience in providing scientific advice on water quality to government organisations. This includes advice on managing and modelling the impacts of diffuse and point source discharges, marine and freshwater quality and water quality standards worldwide.
Contaminated sediment assessment and disposal
Our Team is highly knowledgeable and experienced in the technical and legal details of dredging, infilling, removing and disposing of contaminated sediments and land, and has experience in delivering Marine Licensing and permits for these activities. Our team members have expert knowledge on the biological effects of contaminated sediment and sediment quality standards, and we have conducted research on these subjects for UK government organisations and regulators, and worldwide according to World Bank standards.
Aquatic & Marine ecology studies and surveys
Our Team has extensive experience in the design and execution of aquatic and marine, coastal and estuarine biological surveys. These include benthic infaunal surveys, epibenthos, coral and other biogenic reefs, plankton and fish surveys.
We have led, conducted and supervised hundreds of these surveys, and we are fully familiar with the necessary equipment, sampling methods and gear necessary to complete these surveys successfully.
Expert witness services
Various of our team members have been trained and appointed as expert witness in legal proceedings, as well as preparing scientific and technical briefs for lawyers and other legal professionals.
We have participated in legal proceedings nationally and internationally; for example, preparing comprehensive reports and presentations for the United Nations Compensation Commission with respect to the 1st Gulf War, Kentish Flats Offshore Wind Farm and Thanet Offshore Wind Farm Public Examinations in the UK and a Public Enquiry for the development of a deep-water port in Galway (Ireland).
