CEP runs assessment training course for EKN

CEP runs successful environmental assessment and ecosystem services training course again in 2018

Dr Bill Sheate, Spela Kolaric and Alex Mackaness delivered once again our very successful one-day training course on environmental assessment and ecosystem services for the Ecosystems Knowledge Network (EKN) this last week to 30 participants, building on the success of previous training courses across the UK during 2016 and 2017.

The one-day training course - on Incorporating ecosystem services and natural capital into environmental assessment - was held at the offices of Tideway, in London on Thursday 22nd November 2018 with participants from consultancies, the environmental agencies from across the UK devolved administrations, academics and practitioners from the UK and elsewhere in Europe.

For further information. including possible future dates, see the EKN link here.

CEP's Dr Bill Sheate to give lecture at LSE

Dr Bill Sheate will give a lecture to LSE Masters students on EIA

CEP's Dr Bill Sheate is to give a lecture titled Environmental Impact Assessment: EIA and SEA to students of the Executive MSc in Cities programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on 13th December 2017.

CEP carried out National Park SEA

Photo credit: 'The Days Ending' by john mcsporran on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

CEP carried out Partnership Plan SEA for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority

CEP was commissioned to carry out an environmental assessment and prepare an Environmental Report as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority's updated National Park Partnership Plan (NPPP) 2018-2023. The NPPP is the high level management plan for the Park setting out the strategic direction for all lower level plans and projects. It also requires Ministerial approval.  The SEA Environmental Report including non-technical summary can be viewed here.

The project was undertaken by CEP's Dr Peter Phillips and Dr Bill Sheate. Bill and Peter are also delivering training in May and June this year on ecosystem services and environmental assessment for the Ecosystems Knowledge Network. Full details are available here.

CEP's Dr Bill Sheate gave a lecture at LSE

Dr Bill Sheate gave a lecture to LSE Master's students on EIA

CEP's Dr Bill Sheate gave a lecture titled Environmental Impact Assessment: EIA and SEA to students of the Executive MSc in Cities programme at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) on 15 December 2016.

TimberLINK evaluation stakeholder seminar

Photo credit: 'Inveraray' by Julian Berry on Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

TimberLINK evaluation stakeholder seminar

CEP's Dr Peter Phillips and Tom Matthew of Reference Economic Consultants delivered a stakeholder seminar as part of the TimberLINK  environmental and economic evaluation, undertaken for Forestry Commission Scotland.  

The seminar took place on Tuesday 25 October in Inveraray, Scotland, and was attended by a range of forestry and timber transport stakeholders from Argyll, Ayrshire and elsewhere in Scotland. Stakeholder participants were presented with the draft results of the evaluation. There was then an opportunity for discussion and feedback to help validate and refine these results.

The results of this seminar and the overall evaluation will inform considerations about the future operation of the TimberLINK service beyond the current funding period which ends in March 2017.

Webinar taster for ecosystem services and environmental assessment training

Photo: Bill Sheate - managed realignment, Fingringhoe, Essex.

Incorporating ecosystem services into environmental assessment training course - taster webinar recording NOW available

Ecosystem services are becoming increasingly prominent as a framework for linking the environment and people’s well-being. There is strong interest in what ecosystem services mean for processes such as Environmental Impact Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal. One key difference is the framing of the natural environment as an opportunity or benefit as opposed to a constraint or backdrop to absorb impacts.

This webinar by CEP's Dr Bill Sheate for the Ecosystems Knowledge Network and the Irish Forum on Natural Capital introduces the topic, pointing to some of the resources and examples available. It was recorded on Friday, October 7, 2016 10:00 am and lasts for 30 minutes.

EU publishes SEA Directive Effectiveness study

CEP a contributing author TO European Commission Study on the effectiveness of the SEA Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC)

An important review study of the SEA Directive, to which CEP contributed, was published recently by the European Union.  The objective of the Study concerning the preparation of the report on the application and effectiveness of the SEA Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC) was to provide the Commission with information on Member States’ progress and challenges experienced in the application of the Council Directive 2001/42/EC (‘SEA Directive’) on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment for the period 2007-2014.

The study analysed the practical implementation of the SEA Directive across all 28 Member States and then evaluated the performance of the legislation to understand how environmental considerations have been integrated into planning processes and the extent to which the SEA Directive contributes to achieving better and more coherent planning.  The study found that the SEA Directive has brought about some significant benefits to strategic planning, while also making recommendations that could further improve its efficiency, effectiveness and coherence into the future.

Dr Bill Sheate and Ric Eales from CEP contributed to the study as expert advisors, in association with Milieu Ltd, Brussels.

CEP's Dr Bill Sheate at Environment Analyst Infrastructure Conference

CEP at Environment Analyst Infrastructure conference

Dr Bill Sheate will be running a round-table discussion on Exploring Biodiversity Offsetting & How It Can Work In Practice at the Managing the Environmental Impacts of UK Infrastructure Development conference, produced jointly by Environment Analyst and Environment OnSite, to be held in London on 21 June 2016.  The conference is intended to provide an opportunity for environmental consultants to come together with their contractors and clients and share best practice examples of what can be achieved when environmental impacts are considered early in the design and development process.

Dr Sheate led the evaluation project undertaken by CEP for Defra on the Biodiversity Offsetting Pilot Scheme 2012-2014.

CEP runs training course on ecosystem services and environmental assessment

Photo credit: http://photoeverywhere.co.uk/britain/manchester/slides/52-mintownhall1.htm

CEP WILL BE DELIVERING A SECOND ONE-DAY TRAINING WORKSHOP ON INCORPORATING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES INTO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT in Manchester

Dr Bill Sheate and Dr Peter Phillips will deliver a second one-day training course on Incorporating ecosystem services into environmental assessment in Manchester on 29 June 2016, on behalf of the Ecosystems Knowledge Network (EKN).  The course is being run at Manchester Metropolitan University's Business School, having previously delivered a very successful event in London in May. Just a few places are still available; booking is available online here.

Ecosystem services and environmental assessment training delivered by CEP

Photo courtesy of Edvard Glücksman

CEP delivers one-day training workshop on Incorporating ecosystem services into environmental assessment

Dr Bill Sheate and Dr Peter Phillips delivered a very successful one-day training course in London on 24 May 2016 on Incorporating ecosystem services into environmental assessment, on behalf of the Ecosystems Knowledge Network (EKN).  The course is being run again in Manchester on 29 June 2016, at Manchester Metropolitan University's Business School - just a few places are still available; booking is available online here.

Comments from some of the participants at the London training:

“Grateful for an excellent day’s training with @EcosystemsNet in London”

“Very informative. Trainers very knowledgeable and approachable”

“Really useful, informative day”

CEP’S DR BILL SHEATE SPEAKING AT EU WORKSHOP ON SEA

Image: 'Charlemagne is back in Europe' by Eddy Van 3000 (CC BY-SA 2.0)

DR BILL SHEATE WILL BE SPEAKING AT A EUROPEAN COMMISSION WORKSHOP IN BRUSSELS ON 18 May 2016 ON THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DIRECTIVE

Dr Bill Sheate, Technical Director at CEP, is an invited speaker at a workshop organised by the European Commission in Brussels on 18 May on “The application and effectiveness of the SEA Directive (Directive 2001/42/EC)".  

Bill will be talking on “How Strategic is Strategic Environmental Assessment? The importance of ‘tiering’ with EIA”, looking at how the relationship between SEA and EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) has evolved in the EU, and how a better appreciation of this 'tiering' between different decision and assessment levels can help to make environmental assessment more efficient and effective. Bill has undertaken a number of studies on EIA and SEA for the European Commission over the years, and has been involved with the EIA and SEA Directives since their early conception from the early 1980s. 

CEP authors contribute to international SEA book

CEP authors contribute to new book: European and International Experiences of Strategic Environmental Assessment: Recent Progress and Future Prospects

Bill Sheate and Ric Eales are co-authors of Chapter 8[1]  in the recently published Routledge text book European and International Experiences of Strategic Environmental Assessment: Recent Progress and Future Prospects, edited by Barry Sadler and Jiří Dusík [2].  

This book brings together the latest thinking in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and considers the key question of whether the processes are having a positive impact on strategic decision making, both in Europe and worldwide.  Bill and Ric draw on their experiences with SEA practice and the wider literature to examine the effectiveness of national SEA systems in Europe. They identify main trends and developments; key issues and perspectives; key lessons regarding process effectiveness and quality of practice; and future directions and prospects.[3]

[1] Chapter 8: Effectiveness of European national SEA systems: How are they making a difference?

[2] Published 24 March 2016.  Look inside the book here for contents and introduction.

[3] See here for a pre-print of the chapter.

CEP providing environmental assessment training for EKN

One-day training courses in environmental assessment and ecosystem services being provided by CEP for the EcosystemS Knowledge Network 

CEP is providing two one-day training courses on Incorporating ecosystem services into environmental assessment in the UK on behalf of the Ecosystems Knowledge Network (EKN). The training days, which count for IEMA CPD, will be run in London (24 May 2016) and Manchester (29 June 2016).

The course is being offered for those who commission or undertake formal environmental assessments of all types in the UK, as well as those who use them, and will cover:

• Why might the ecosystem service concept be useful in environmental assessment?
• How can the concept be used in SA, SEA and EIA?
• How might you use the concept? (theoretically and practically)
• How is the concept actually being used?
• Challenges and opportunities (data requirements; legal compliance; guidance).

The trainers will be Dr Bill Sheate (Technical Director, CEP) and Dr Peter Phillips (Senior Consultant, CEP)

Further details and booking are available here.