The implementation of climate change into Environmental Impact Assessment : theoretical and practical approaches of adaptation and mitigation strategies

Abstract

For more than four decades, various regulatory frameworks for environmental impact assessment (EIA) have been established on the international, supranational (European) and national levels. As far as EIA procedure is concerned, climate change has been taken into consideration only recently. This master's thesis aims at synthesizing possible ways of addressing climatic effects by means of EIA. An extensive literature research and analysis point out that these approaches are not just theoretical but also include practical aspects. This is demonstrated by the comparison of the respective legal foundations and practice in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Italy. In addition, the interdisciplinary master's thesis adds a crucial part to the current scientific discussion as all approaches can be categorized as either mitigation or adaptation measures. Further, energy efficiency is identified as a successful proxy to include climate change into EIAs, as it has already been realised by the unique Climate and Energy Concept in Austria.